IDEA: Translating women’s presence in parliaments into influence in politics and decision making
Source:
A seminar, organized by IDEA, on women’s political empowerment held in Ghana in August brought together women members of parliament from 31 countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss what strategies are successful for translating women’s presence in parliaments into influence in politics and decision making.
Addressing the specific theme – Translating Women’s Participation in Politics into Critical Actions and Influence – the seminar provided a forum for women from vastly different political parties and ideologies to hold substantive discussions in a non-partisan manner.
The seminar was opened by the Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah, Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs of Ghana, who outlined the existing challenges to women’s political empowerment, and the critical role of women’s parliamentary caucuses in promoting substantive equality between women and men through legislation and policy.
The seminar looked at the experiences of inter-party women’s caucuses from twelve countries. Some of their achievements ranged from the adoption of legislation to promote equality in employment, health care and the elimination of violence against women in Spain, Kosovo, Rwanda, Mexico, and Ecuador. Other successful measures included promoting better access to the justice system, and improved personal status and divorce laws in Morocco and Tunisia. Laws against female genital mutilation and harmful traditional practices in Ghana, and Cameroon were also instanced.
Read more at International IDEA, published 1 September 2012.
A seminar, organized by IDEA, on women’s political empowerment held in Ghana in August brought together women members of parliament from 31 countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss what strategies are successful for translating women’s presence in parliaments into influence in politics and decision making.
Addressing the specific theme – Translating Women’s Participation in Politics into Critical Actions and Influence – the seminar provided a forum for women from vastly different political parties and ideologies to hold substantive discussions in a non-partisan manner.
The seminar was opened by the Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah, Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs of Ghana, who outlined the existing challenges to women’s political empowerment, and the critical role of women’s parliamentary caucuses in promoting substantive equality between women and men through legislation and policy.
The seminar looked at the experiences of inter-party women’s caucuses from twelve countries. Some of their achievements ranged from the adoption of legislation to promote equality in employment, health care and the elimination of violence against women in Spain, Kosovo, Rwanda, Mexico, and Ecuador. Other successful measures included promoting better access to the justice system, and improved personal status and divorce laws in Morocco and Tunisia. Laws against female genital mutilation and harmful traditional practices in Ghana, and Cameroon were also instanced.
Read more at International IDEA, published 1 September 2012.