electoral reform workshop focus

Electoral reform focus of politics workshop

Women may make up half the population of countries around the world but, in the Pacific, they only hold 12 per cent of the seats in parliament.

This is even less than the global average of 16 per cent.

Nearly 100 delegates from around the region begin meeting from tomorrow morning to discuss ways of getting more Pacific women into national parliaments.

A range of regional experts and women politicians will present reports on women in politics over the next three days.

Tomorrow’s workshop is a continuation of work begun in 2000 by UNIFEM when they set up the Women in Politics Pacific Centre.

UNIFEM officials say they are expanding their activities from assisting women with political techniques to promoting discussion about reform of political systems.

The workshop is being held Wednesday 19th to Thursday 21st April 2006 at the Edgewater Resort in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Supporting organisations include the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat for the Pacific Community, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the United Nations Development Fund.

> Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden have some of the planet’s oldest constitutions and lead the world in political gender balance with women representatives holding an average of 40 per cent of parliamentary seats.