Members of the CWP Steering Committee with Secretary- General Dr William F. Shija.
Women encounter a plethora of
problems in every sphere in which they strive to make a difference. Social and cultural impediments as well as financial restraints keep women shackled in a secondary position and that makes it much harder for women to participate in the political arena. The 2012 President of the CWP,
Dr the Hon. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, MP, of Sri Lanka, pointed out that women possess a tenth of the world’s income and that 70 per cent of the people living on one dollar a day are women. Ms Kemi Ogunsanya, a Gender
and Political Development Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, described how women of some countries are faced with physical violence when participating in elections and are reduced to hiring bodyguards at their own expense to protect themselves. In some
countries, women are restricted from carrying out their campaigning work due to curfews which prevent them from canvassing in the night. A women’s agenda in Parliament is necessary to overcome such inequalities and gender discrimination which prevent women from reaching their true potential. This process must begin in
Parliament itself so, as the first step, it is necessary to consider how gender sensitive the Parliament is. Does Parliament provide day care facilities for children? Is the Presiding Officer addressed as Chairman or Chairperson? Are there maternity benefits and do male Members of the Parliament take parental leave? Restrictive socio-cultural attitudes
as well as limited financial resources make it imperative that women are given special consideration, hence an agenda is necessary to ensure that
women are effective participants and valuable contributors in all aspects of the society, she said.
Differing perspectives An agenda for women was seen as critical in the sense that social, cultural and economic issues affect men and women differently. For example, in Africa issues of food security affect women more than men. Similarly, all institutions created “by men for men” pose various challenges to women as they struggle to find a level footing in a world of imbalances. The need for an agenda for
women which would review policies and legislation through a gender lens to sensitize them to the issues faced by women was therefore said by many to be essential. Through such actions as setting up parliamentary committees, women’s caucuses and special working groups, and
appointing a Minister dedicated to promoting women’s interest, women Parliamentarians could be powerful tools for policy monitoring in order to reduce gender disparities. They can influence policies pertaining to women in the budget, ensure legislation before Parliament is gender-sensitive and create gender awareness within Parliament in general.
Putting across her views on
the matter at hand, Sen. Helen Polley, the Australian representative on the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering Committee, pointed out that it is necessary to promote women to take a leading role in public life and to ensure that others in society acknowledge and accept this. But she said that getting women’s
voice heard in Parliament is not only a matter of getting the right number