Discussion leader Hon. Lovita Foggo, MP, Bermu- da (left) with Ms Myrna Driedger, MLA, Manitoba., during the Commonwealth Women Parliamentar- ians Steering Committee meeting.
Constitutional reform is essential to amend, abrogate or replace old laws and establish the rule of law, protect human rights and foster democracy. Constitutional reform should not serve as an exercise to limit the powers of the opposition, remove checks and balances on government power or consolidate the power of the leadership and limit the power of the populace. The growing recognition of
absence of special measures such as quotas, low literacy levels, the lack of job security in politics, the absence of female role models and a lack of training for political participation. Gender mainstreaming is critical
for sustainable development, and to achieve sustainable development, the participation of women is indispensable because of their social, economic and political roles. It is necessary to recognize the contribution and role of women as agents for change in transforming societies for future generations. Gender equity is crucial to encourage good governance, transparency and accountability. Women form the highest number of voters in any election, yet they are the least represented in governance and at all levels of decision-making processes across all sectors. Women ought to have equitable opportunities to hold leadership positions at all levels of decision-making. In particular circumstances, the
conference noted women activists face torture, political detention and
unlawful imprisonment, and women attempting to enter politics face much resistance from their husbands, families and society at large. To overcome the dilemma of too few women in governance, therefore, greater access to information is required. Research has shown that where sufficient numbers of women have joined in leadership positions and decision-making bodies, they have created a more collaborative atmosphere, characterized by mutual respect, less corruption, integrity and priority-focusing. They have sought consensus, rather than a winner- take-all solution. Women bring a new dimension to the accepted norms and positively influence all stakeholders with alternative perspectives to foster growth, build partnerships, serve as role-models and reconcile divergent interests or groups. Women’s political participation
has resulted in substantial gains for democracy, and enormous advantages in responding to citizens’ demands, as well as improved co-operation between political parties
and ethnic groups, thus leading to stability and sustainable peace.
Constitutional breakthroughs Even though the Commonwealth has made giant strides towards mainstreaming gender and empowering women’s effective participation in Parliaments, a sustained effort is critical to break through barriers to promote gender equality in all spheres and across all sectors.
Commitment to constitutional
democracy is a prerequisite for credible elections, equitable participation of women, a level playing field for all political actions, with an effective electoral system that guarantees the participation of all peoples in the electoral process. An electoral legal framework must be clear, unambiguous and enshrined in the constitution of the country, which is acceptable to electoral stakeholders. The absence of constitutional democracy leads to poor governance, and is a main cause of protracted conflicts.
women’s political participation in leadership across the Commonwealth has been widely acknowledged. Many countries have continued to strengthen systems of government, introduced accountability measures and increased women’s representation through the adoption and implementation of quotas and other affirmative action policies. Moreover, political party structures need to change to accommodate equitable representation of women, such as ensuring quota representation of women in candidates’ list prior to an election. Political parties have the mandate and organizational tentacles to reach extensively across any country. Women’s groups need to tap into
the immense potential of political parties as social mobilizers to attain gender equality in all party structures and at all levels. This can be achieved through intense lobbying through individual and collective commitments in the election manifestoes of political parties, to drive the clarion call for women’s empowerment as a central part of their electoral campaigns. In some Latin American countries, the conference was told that women have secured gender equality policies in the manifestoes of political parties in exchange for their votes. This has proved successful as a positive influence and a form of soft power attributed to women. Further, through effective monitoring and evaluation, they can hold government and political party structures accountable for non-implementation through the parliamentary oversight of the executive and opposition parties, to ensure gender mainstreaming is attained.