INSPIRING CHANGE: WOMEN’S POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
This page: Female members of the Iraqi National Assembly at a press conference. The UNDP worked with the Women’s Committee on a Bill in Iraq to establish a High Commission on Gender equality.; Right: Female politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina., where the UNDP assisted the Parliament’s Committee on Gender Equality.
of international best practice on gender equality, quotas, and constitutionalization of equality provisions. The new Constitution of Tunisia (adopted on 26 January 2014) is ground-breaking in its provisions to assure women’s equality, in explicitly committing to eliminate violence against women, in promoting women’s assumption of positions of responsibility in all sectors, and in working towards parity in all elected bodies within the country. UNDP has also been promoting equal access for women candidates to political parties campaign funding. Last November, I participated in a training session in Tunis for 120 representatives from Tunisian political parties on party regulations and disclosure mechanisms to redress gender inequities in political party campaign funding.
Commonwealth-specific examples of our recent work include:
Samoa: A ‘Women’s Parliamentary Forum’ in Samoa on 8 and 9 October 2013 was held to coincide with Parliament’s October sittings. The initiative was designed to inform and encourage women by acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the realm of politics or sustain interest in it; and to serve as a medium to promote and support women’s participation in the legislative process. The programme aimed to
provide them with: basic knowledge of parliamentary procedures and processes; exposure to Parliament and interactions with Parliamentarians to initiate and encourage interest in politics; as well as practical elementary legislative training with the assistance
of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. Participants were asked to assist with formulating a framework for future parliamentary capacity building support, including for women from different sectors of the country leading up to the 2016 general election.
Solomon Islands: A mock
Parliament for women was also conducted at the National Parliament of Solomon Islands from 10 to 13 February 2014, as part of the efforts to advance women’s participation in leadership and decision making. The three-day training programme was aimed to provide participants with necessary skills and knowledge of parliamentary procedures, the Electoral Commission, good governance and parliamentary leadership in Solomon Islands, separation of powers (Executive,
Judiciary, Legislative) and Parliamentary Committees. A total of 35 women participants from across the country took part in a mock debate about the Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF) and its effectiveness in funding some essential services such as health, education, rural development & domestic violence. Tonga: Tonga’s first Practice
Parliament for Women will be held on 10-11 April 2014 hosted by the Legislative Assembly of Tonga in Nuku’alofa. Candidates will undergo training and mentoring programmes with current MPs and former women MPs on 7-9 April, followed by a live broadcast of the two-day sitting. It is part of UNDP’s efforts to help the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, fulfill his stated commitment to building a modern and more representative
The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue One | 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72