empowerment fund, subject to the support of member governments.
Engaging with the community The workshop heard that democracy is fundamental to the Commonwealth and full participation of all its citizens is a precondition to a genuine flourishing democracy. Political parties have a role in motivating and educating constituents about the valuable role of women in public life and decision-making, said Mrs Farhat Khan, MP, of Pakistan. Sometimes women do not vote for other women, or lack confidence in their representation. Women in public life can, and should, use the media more effectively to reach out to women voters and support women in decision-making roles, added Hon. Rosy Senanayake, MP, of Sri Lanka. The workshop heard that
Parliamentarians should be mindful to make their disputes about each other’s policies, not characters, which requires a paradigm shift in the sometimes aggressive political culture of Parliaments. Hon. Bako Christine Abia, MP, of
Uganda said women can be subject to very critical and gender-biased media coverage but they can also engage proactively with the media to get a message out. Hon Anne Makinda, MP, of Tanzania suggested that focusing efforts in public office is limiting – political parties have great reach into business and the private sector and there are opportunities to get women into positions of power in those aspects of life as well. Similarly, parties should give consideration to everyday life in their policy development processes. When developing policy and budget, parties
can measure the likely benefits to women and see whether the policies objectives will be achieved, explained Hon. Sophia Swartz, MP, of Namibia.
Supporting other women It is important for women in public life to realize that supporting each other is vital. The workshop heard that, ideally, there should be a culture of helping each other up the ladder, and not kicking it away when women have themselves reached the top. Women should look for, and use, the power available to them. For example, women in ruling parties should use their influence to promote the interests of women more generally, said Hon. Makhos Ntuti, MPL, of KwaZulu Natal. The workshop observed that
sometimes women elect women to public office but then do not support
them in those roles. The CPA could play a role in advocating for women, providing training and helping women grow confident in their work, proposed Hon. Pam Tshwete, MP, of South Africa. Some jurisdictions noted success in using local government and community group roles as training grounds to develop the skills of women party members to then step into more prestigious and more challenging public roles. Standing for office can be very
expensive, and the workshop heard women from many jurisdictions talk of the personal financial sacrifice they made in the electoral process. This can be a real disincentive to women. Campaign funding and financial independence is a real issue for women, so parties could provide practical support to women candidates.