background | day one

Pacific Regional Workshop
on Advancing Women’s Representation in Parliaments
19-21 April, Cook Islands

Day 1
Background on Women and Politics Initiatives at Regional level

Objective
To provide a brief overview of WIP initiatives in the region by way of background to the discussion on women’s representation in Parliaments in the Pacific

1.     1994 – Pacific Platform for Action
Rethinking Sustainable Development for Pacific Women in the year 2000.  Represents the voice of Pacific women – is a statement of their identity, problems and measures to address these problems.  It is a statement of how they see the future and their role in shaping it.  Ati George Sokomanu, the then Secretary General of the South Pacific Commission stated:  we owe it to both our present and our future generations to give substance and concrete form to the Pacific Platform for Action.

2.     What does it say about the participation of women in politics?
Its Strategic Objective is to promote and encourage the full participation of women in family, political and public decision-making.

It recommends:

• using CEDAW to promote legal literacy and democracy education for the purpose of mobilizing women to participate and vote in elections, and to use women’s votes to influence policy for peaceful, equitable, democratic goals;


• education in basic political and leadership skills and encouraging and supporting women’s efforts to aspire to decision-making positions in formal and informal arenas;


• promotion of women in elected political offices and appointed decision-making positions;


• gender sensitization programme which enable people to consider aspects of their culture that do not treat girls and boys, men and women, as equals;


• access to simplified legal information translated into vernacular;


• and recommended leadership development and training for women for government and community positions.  

3.     It set the target of 30% (ECOSOC) for women in decision-making levels of government.

4.     SPC was tasked with facilitating CEDAW training; identifying regional experts for training programmes; facilitating workshops on decision-making for women; and networking women leaders both past and present.

This didn’t come from out of nowhere – following global recognition of the need for the increased participation of women in decision-making.

-     through the UN charter (1945) which affirms, “faith in fundamental human rights, in he dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”
-     through UN General Assembly resolution (1946 5b(1) ), that all member states which have not already done so, adopt measures necessary to fulfill the purposes and aims of the Charter by granting women the same political rights as men”
-     through the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) first session in 1947; adopted the first of many resolutions on women’s political participation.
-     In 1989 CSW Geneva Symposium on the Participation of Women in Political and Parliamentary Decision-Making declared:  “The political space belongs to all citizens:  politics is everyone’s business and affects the lives of each of us.  There is no doubt but that the more women are associated in numbers corresponding to their percentage of the population in the political decision-making; in parties; in elected bodies in government; and in international bodies, the more women can be associated with the process of protagonists, and the more they change the modalities and outcome of politics.  Only then will the concept of democracy find concrete and tangible expressions.  It has been underscored that democracy and the participation of women go hand in hand and promote each other mutually.
-     Thus in 1990, the CSW considered equality in political participation and decision-making as a priority issues and in 1991 an expert group meeting was held in Vienna.  Involvement of the UN, IPU and international NGOs continued this work, leading up to this year when this issue was the subject of the CSW50.

5.     What happened in the 10 years between the PPA, Beijing and the PPA review?  UNIFEM took the lead in partnership with the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP).  The following events/programmes were implemented in support of global, regional and sub-regional efforts to realize what has been a long standing recognition and commitment and lobby beginning at international level, through their Women in Politics programme.

6.     With the support of CAPWIP, the following events were held at regional level:
-     1994:  attendance of Pacific island delegation to the first Asia-Pacific Congress of Women in Politics.
-     1995: First Congress of Women in Politics Pacific Center (WIPPAC) held in Fiji; commitment by UNIFEM to train women politicians.  Proceedings were taken to the Second CAPWIP Congress in Beijing.
-     1996:  third Asia-Pacific Congress of Women in Politics in cooperation with WIPPAC held in Fiji.
Continued endorsement and regional support for UNIFEM WIP programme.  Little involvement by the SPC and PIFS.
     
7.     Stages of progress or focus were as follows:  
8.     Examples of activities in the Pacific include:
-     1998, Solomon Islands saw more women running in both the municipal and national elections; victory for Hon. Hilda Kari who became a Cabinet Minister; experience of the last election makes interesting comparison.
-     Kiribati voter education workshops; however, impact not clear.
-     Papua New Guinea was provided support for successful women candidates.  
-     Marshall Islands developed a 2 year plan for organizing leadership training.
-     Vanuatu formed VANWIP and supported women to contest the election and for political education
-     Fiji support for candidates in municipal and national elections; development of women’s caucus; opportunities for leadership training, etc.

9.     2003 UNIFEM Training and Congress on Positioning Pacific Women for Progress in Fiji.  The objectives of the meeting were to conduct training on transformative citizenship and leadership; to consult, review and identify strategies for progressive implementation of programmes to support gender equality and empower women; and to consider the review report of the WIPPAC and future plans.

10.      Outcomes of the meeting included the strong recognition of the work of NGOs in supporting and working towards the increased participation of women in politics in the region and underscored the need to support the growth and involvement of NGOs in this area.  It also recommended multi-pronged approach to support including:  

• voter education including activities to change attitudes to women candidates;


• training programmes to encourage and prepare aspiring women candidates, both before and after the national and local council elections;


• to develop and understanding of political processes and systems in order to better appreciate how they contribute to improved governance;


• gender training for all political candidates;


• reform of electoral systems to enable more women to participate in politics including quotas or party incentives for those with successful women candidates;


• and research on barriers to women’s political participation and documentation of successful cases; and lessons learned

11.     On WIPPAC, the meeting recommended that UNIFEM continue to host WIPPAC; that local WIP organizations provide comments to UNIFEM on the review; institutionalizing of WIP training and TOT, using national and regional agencies and resources; use multi-level approaches to WIP programmes including networking with women of influence and linkages with other national initiatives to do with the advancement of women.

2004 review of the PPA
12.     It recognized that we were still way behind and recognized that strengthening women’s representation in parliament and at all levels of decision-making in a country are determinants of good governance and true democracy.  All governments were urged to:  create an environment that is conducive for women to stand in elections; take affirmative action by promoting and putting in place policies and practices that enhance gender parity in political participation; promote and strengthen the practice of shared decision-making within the family and within communities; take an affirmative approach by encouraging capable women of our society to participate in politics at all levels of decision-making in various institutions; provide security mechanisms for women candidates in the national general elections; and encourage equal participation of men and women in public life, in political parties, statutory bodies and Boards and management roles in governments, the private sector and civil society organizations; undertake a multi-sectoral approach to investment in the national machinery of women, involving key government ministries including MOW, MOF, MNP working together to mainstream gender issues and concerns throughout the government process.