The 32 female candidates contesting the December 18 general election will receive a refund on their $3,000 nomination fees, courtesy of the Jamaica Women's Political Caucus (JWPC).

Yesterday, at a press conference put on by the JWPC and the Association of Women's Organisations in Jamaica (AWOJA), at the Terra Nova Hotel in St. Andrew, the seven candidates present became the first beneficiaries of the Candidates' Fund For Women.

The fund was launched last year by Mrs. J. Gary Cooper, wife of the former United States Ambassador to Jamaica. It was started to encourage Jamaican women to run for political office by providing a measure of financial support.

"The fund is still very young," Mrs. Evelyn Smart of the JWPC told the candidates. "But we wanted to make a gesture to all the women who ran this year so we decided to return your nomination fees," she said.

AWOJA co-ordinator, Mar-garette Macauley, pointed out that it was vital for women to become involved in politics in order to make a contribution to policy formulation and decision-making.

"We welcome the fact that so many women have put themselves forward," she said. "This is not only for the advancement of women, it is for the development of the entire country. Women must participate fully at all levels of decision- making in our country. We make up 50 per cent of the population and if we do not participate equally then our ability to contribute to the development of our country will not be realised fully," she said.