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Case Study

Women Members of the Constituent Assembly: A study on contribution of women in constitution making in Nepal

Cover art by Chirag Bandel

The election of 197 women to the Constituent Assembly of Nepal was a historic achievement and raised hopes with regard to ensuring gender equality in the constitution-building process. The elected women members comprise almost 33 per cent of the 601 members and include old-time politicians, women activists, professionals, former combatants and war widows.

This book presents the stories of the women Constituent Assembly members, which reflect their struggles, their hopes and their perseverance in struggling to bring equality to Nepali society. Their stories include journeys from battlefields to politics and from student politics to national politics, transformations from oppressed village girl to prominent politician, and life-long engagements in political movements, social work or professional life.

Support for Local Government: Policies, Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming - DGTTF Southern-Sudan

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005 created the new autonomous Government of Southern Sudan [GoSS]. The GoSS was required to establish in-stitutions and processes of governance including at the local level, with no pre-vious experience in government and in an environment characterized by the tribal nature of its traditional social or-ganization, identity and culture.

This document details the DGTTF projects launched in South-Sudan, including Project II: Strategy for mainstreaming gender em-powerment in local government.  

Sierra Leone Query: Experiences with Sequencing PAR Reforms and Electoral Cycles

This report aims to assist UNDP/Sierra Leone in formulating strategies to reform different aspects of civil service, as it heads into upcoming elections. It begins with a discussion of the types of civil service reforms that may be useful, and methods of implementation. It was difficult to find examples of experiences correlating PAR reforms and electoral cycles.  However, we did find examples of reform programmes from a number of countries.  These programmes tend to be implemented over a minimum of four (4) years; at which time the country has often undergone some type of major election.  

The overwhelming trend across the international reports found seems to point towards avoiding election times when it comes to civil service reforms. Reforms in other countries have begun either before or after elections, but do not tend to be heavily implemented during election time frames. Although civil service reform is the main topic of the report, it would be difficult to have meaningful reforms without legitimate leadership, chosen through democratic elections. Because of the difficulty in maintaining fair elections in the past, it seems that electoral reform is a necessary precursor to civil service reform, especially given the temporal proximity of the next elections.

The report concludes with observations and questions for further study, which may aid UNDP/Sierra Leone as it attempts to reform civil service and public sector laws, while anticipating upcoming elections.

Strengthening women political participation in Lesotho

mdrame's picture

There are many definitions of the word politics but because I had a choice I picked up the definition by Bahram Maskanian because it appeared to be very close to what I will be talking about. Bahram defines politics as an art and science of managing and governing one’s entire social, cultural and economic affairs. He goes on to say that politics is the activity and interaction engaged in by any given society’s citizen’s to build and maintain a community and establish communal social services for all people.

From Words to Action: Best Practices for Women's Political Participation in Latin American Political Parties

Even though women represent more than half of the voting population in many countries and have been widely incorporated into the economic sphere over the last decade, reality tells us that there is still an important gap between these advances and women's access to elected or political party positions. While considerable improvements have taken place in women's participation in political decision-making bodies, the numbers continue to show substantial levels of underrepresentation. In the eighteen Latin American countries examined in this study, there is an average of two women representative for every ten male mayors, and those countries with an Upper Chamber have less than two women Senators for every ten men.

In oder to resolve this asymmetry, and in response to the demands of socially and politically organized women - as well as the international consensus supporting them- several countries have chosen to include quota mechanisms in electoral regulations. These quotas have been functioning with greater or lesser effectiveness depending on the context and regulatory framework in which they are applied.

This manual provides political party members and leaders with the means to implement concrete strategies for achieving equality for women within party organizations and to access positions of power and representation.

More than a year of research and field work in 18 Latin American countries is condensed in this publication, which describe 95 "good practices" implemented by party organizations. It also analyzes the progress and the challenges still facing women in politics, both in the region and in each of the countries studied.

The production of an English version was undertaken by UNDP and was made possible through the generous support of the United Nation’s Development Programmes Gender Team, in the Bureau for Development Policy.

Voices of a Revolution: Conversations with Tunisia’s Youth

Based on a series of ten focus groups conducted in March 2011, this report explores young Tunisians‘opinions of the recent events that led to the overthrow of the Ben Ali regime and of the political transition underway. Main findings include the following: Tunisian youth are eager to participate in their country’s democratic transition, but skeptical about available channels.

Statement on violence against women in politics in Nigeria

The Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWiP) initiative is part of a larger Africa regional project by UN Women which aims at stimulating evidence-based, systematic and institutionalized response mechanisms to the issue of electoral violence against women. It was first piloted in the February 2011 elections in Uganda. Nigeria is the second pilot site and Zimbabwe will be the third. In Nigeria, the pilot study is being implemented by a coalition of Nigerian civil society organizations, activists and volunteers with the support of UN Women in collaboration with UNDP’s Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) Project. The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) is the key implementing technical partner.

Democracy With Women, For Women

This publication presents an overview and brief analysis of the first round of grants issued
by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) in partnership with the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Both organizations are engaged in advancing gender equality and democratic governance around the world. The following pages probe, in a concise fashion, what was achieved through seven grants to improve women’s political participation in a diverse set of countries and regions.

A series of project profiles, drawn from reports and independent evaluations, summarizes objectives and activities, results, challenges, lessons and ideas for future work. Collectively and individually, the profiles shed light on effective strategies in implementing gender and governance programmes. This information may be useful for people carrying out or funding similar initiatives, or for gender advocates, governance specialists and researchers interested in a concise overview of recent experiences illustrating advancements in women’s political participation.

Since 2006, UNDEF has provided grants to strengthen democratic governance in over 100 countries. UNIFEM works with about 10 percent of UNDEF projects to inject its long-standing expertise in gender equality and governance. While all UNDEF projects contribute to realizing gender equality goals, UNIFEM puts deliberate emphasis on ensuring that women have an equal voice in all aspects of governance, peace and security and public decision-making. Globally, progress towards a gender balance in politics is being made, but the pace of change is slow, and the number of women in political offices remains low.

In 2006, the first round of UNDEF proposals awarded $36 million to 125 projects. Grant awards ranged from $50,000 to $500,000. UNIFEM assisted 10 projects in Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, Haiti, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania participated in a Great Lakes regional project, while Inter Press Service International implemented an Africa regional project in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Swaziland.

Aid Effectiveness and the Implementation of SCR 1325 in Nepal - Financing Inclusive Peace and Security for Women in Nepal

Actualizing the promises and potential of Security Council resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889 requires intentional action at the national level by a range of stakeholders. SCR 1889, adopted by the Security Council in October 2009, calls on Member States, in partnership with key actors, to “specify in detail women and girls’ needs and priorities and design concrete strategies.”1 Effective implementation of these resolutions requires the development of truly gender-responsive aid in conflict and post–conflict settings.

The study recommends that a comprehensive needs assessment and costing of women’s security and peacebuilding take place as an immediate step forward in the post-conflict period and provides recommendations for strengthening the inclusion of gender-sensitive provisions in NPTF projects including: Cantonment Management, Rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons and the Management of Electoral Processes. The study also includes recommendations from women’s groups and gender experts in Nepal for advancing the implementation of SCRs 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889.

Improving Liberia’s Transitional Justice Process by Engaging Women

Improving Liberia’s Transitional Justice Process by Engaging Women Publication Date: April 2010 Abstract: When women contribute, transitional justice efforts are more likely to address crimes of war. Women have knowledge of the distinct, complex violations of rights women suffer that can significantly inform truth commission mandates, judicial opinions, reparations schemes, and proposals for policy reform. In Liberia, following the 2003 resolution of two decades of violent conflict, the Women NGO’s Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) facilitated a series of regional women-only dialogues around the country to ensure that the voices, concerns, and priorities of local women were recognized and addressed in the transitional justice process. (4 pages)

Empowering Parliaments through the Use of ICTs

The study, published by the United Nations Development Programme, has developed an analytical framework that focuses on the three core functions of Parliaments - legislation, representation and oversight - and establishes links between them. It provides concrete examples of the importance of ICTs for the empowerment and increased credibility of parliamentary institutions.

Women in Politics 2010 (Poster)

This poster-sized map is a "snapshot" of the presence of women in executive and legislative branches of government as of January 2010. The poster provides information on the percentage of women in ministerial ranks, women in parliaments and women in the highest decision-making bodies, as well as information on the ministerial portfolios held by women throughout the world.

Promoting Women's leadership in Local Government: Local Government associations help women meet the challenge.

This case study highlights some of the good practices emerging among FCM and its partner local government associations in improving women’s political leadership and decision-making in local government. It is one in a series of thematic case studies that support FCM’s local government association capacity building activities.

Strategies for Policymakers #1 March 2009: Bringing Women into Government

Women bring important skills, attributes, and perspectives to the governance process. Few times offer policymakers as good an opportunity to increase the number of women participating in government as those windows immediately after conflicts. Those women who have successfully entered government have tended to build governance systems that are more stable and transparent, and more often accepted as legitimate by society. They have demonstrated the ability to bridge political divides, highlight women’s concerns, facilitate a consultative and participatory approach to policymaking, and press for government accountability. Despite their documented contributions, they are largely excluded. In October 2000, the UN Security Council mandated women’s full participation in peace building in Resolution 1325. Few policymakers, however, know how to fulfill this obligation. This guide intends to provide the international community with concrete strategies to successfully bring women into government. This publication presents case studies of Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Rwanda. Top recommendations These policies are proven to increase women’s participation in government (see page 4 for complete list of recommendations): 1. Demand women’s inclusion in transitional institutions, especially constitution-drafting bodies. 2. Support constitutional provisions, such as parliamentary and executive branch quotas, that guarantee women’s participation in all branches and at all levels of government. 3. Establish election mechanisms that advance women’s representation, including quotas for political parties, indirect elections, and proportional representation systems with closed ("zippered") lists, which alternate the names of male and female candidates. 4. Support electoral systems that require voters to select male and female candidates. About the Series Strategies for Policymakers condenses a decade of research and direct input from leading peace builders into concise recommendations for ensuring the extensive involvement of women in peace processes. Each guide consists of a set of best practices highlighting policies and programs proven to increase women’s participation, as well as stories of countries that have shown these mechanisms better involve women in all stages of the peace-building process.

The Implementation of Voluntary Gender Quotas by the Australian Labor Party

This presentation describes the background of the Australian Labor Party and highlights the party's experiences with introducing affirmative action measures in Australia.