User login
 
Institution Building

Strong institutions are integral to any government, particularly one emerging from violent conflict. The process of institution-building occurs at national and local levels, cutting across sectors and themes of governance. It is important for women to participate in ministries, commissions and offices — not only as administrative staff, but also as decision makers. Given the multitude of post-conflict tasks tackled by national institutions, women’s presence is vital to ensuring that transitional governments address women’s needs and concerns.

From the Library

A Practical Guide to Constitution Building

A Practical Guide to Constitution Building provides an essential foundation for understanding constitutions and constitution building. Full of world examples of ground-breaking agreements and innovative provisions adopted during processes of constitutional change, the Guide offers a wide range of examples of how constitutions develop and how their development can establish and entrench democratic values. Beyond comparative examples, the Guide contains in-depth analysis of key components of constitutions and the forces of change that shape them.

Chapter 2 includes a section on "Principles related to gender" and Chapter 3 includes a section on "The rights of women".

Making It magazine issue on the economic empowerment of women

Charles Arthur's picture

Fourth quarter of 2011 issue of UNIDO's Making It magazine is devoted to the issue of women's economic empowerment. Articles by Michelle Bachelet, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Zoe Elena Horn, Jan O'Sullivan, and many more.

‘Women hold up half the sky’ is a Chinese proverb affirming women’s equal contribution to the human experience but it is an aspirational, rather than a factual, claim. In developed and developing countries alike, gender gaps persist in education, health, work, wages and political participation. For this issue of Making It, the theme is gender equality and the economic empowerment of women.

As Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, pointed out, “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women”.

Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours but women earn only 10% of the world’s income, and women own less than 1% of the world’s property. Women lag far behind men in access to land, credit, and decent jobs, even though a growing body of research shows that enhancing women’s economic options boosts national economies.

Women's Rights and Agenda To Be Incorporated In The New Constitution

This publication was prepared after studying the preliminary drafts and reports of the thematic committees of the Constituent Assembly and of the Constitutional Committee to assess whether or not all of the issues to do with women’s rights have been incorporated. Discussions were also held with honourable women parliamentarians and suggestions received from party leaders, women’s rights activists, organisations from across the country and various experts.  

Chapter 1 of this publication contains a short overview of the women’s movement in Nepal to illustrate the necessity of ensuring women’s rights. It then presents the main agenda of women in the Constituent Assembly focusing on the issues of women that have been overlooked by the 10 thematic committees of the Constituent Assembly and the Constitutional Committee. Chapter 2 sets out the rights and issues included in the reports of the thematic committees and the Constitutional Committee. Chapter 3 contains the reforms suggested by the Women’s Caucus to protect women’s rights and interests in the new constitution.

The Arab Quota Report: Selected Case Studies

Debates on women’s issues and gender relations in the Arab region have been going on for some time now. Such matters are often the most difficult to resolve and, in this age of economic and cultural globalization, they continue to create the same paradoxical situations as they did during the colonial era more than a century ago. To complicate things further, these debates frequently lead to accusations and counteraccusations about cultural authenticity and the degree to which attempts to improve the status of women are indigenous or foreign. Within this environment, Arab women, sometimes assisted by their governments and leaderships, have been trying to pave the way for their political participation.

This paper first summarizes the socio-political and economic situation in the region. It then moves on to a discussion of the political status of Arab women, highlighting their representation in legislatures. The third section looks at the key challenges that confront Arab women who wish to enter the political domain, and the final section focuses on some of the opportunities on offer and the mechanisms that have been employed successfully to enhance women’s political participation.

Pathways for Women in Democratic Transitions – International Experiences and Lessons Learned

This is the keynote address by Vidar Helgesen, Secretary-General, International IDEA, at the Roundtable in Cairo on June 2, 2011.

Participation in Constitution Making: Making Women Voices Heard

Th e Women and Constitution Building Initiative in Nepal was initiated (June 2008) in the spirit of a newlyformed Constitution Assembly (CA) which saw the election of a high percentage of women.  International IDEA, together with its partners, identifi ed a need for a greater understanding of how a constitution aff ects women's lives and how women can contribute to the process of making a new constitution. Strategies were needed to support the creation of an inclusive political environment in a crucial period of Nepal's history.

Th e discussion paper topics are identifi ed by a national group of experts. Th ese focus on the following topics: agenda setting, rules of procedure and public participation. Expert groups with the ability to draw on international expertise are established at the national level. Th e member represents CA members, political parties, lawyers, civil society and academicians. Th ese groups both draw on and inform International IDEA's gender work.

Constituent Assembly Procedures from a Gender Perspective

This paper raises issues about how the Constituent Assembly will work, and how its procedures will have an impact both on the way in which women members will be able to play a part in its work, and on how women’s issues will dealt with in the new Constitution which it is the purpose of the Constituent Assembly to draft. This paper does not deal with public participation – which is the topic of the next paper in the International IDEA Gender Folder. Most of the procedures of the Constituent Assembly will be laid down in its Rules, a draft of which is currently before the relevant committee.

The Constituent Assembly of Nepal: An Agenda for Women

Nepal is making a new constitution, which will be a culmination of the People's Movement, and thus must be based on the aspirations of the people of Nepal. However gender-friendly Constitution may seem, it will not automatically lead to an increase in gender equality, but the process of constitution making creates an opportunity for women to make some significant progress towards the realisation of their rights. Women should not miss this chance.

There is significant number of women members of the Constituent Assembly. Some of these members are women with great knowledge and experience and understanding of the possibilities that the Constituent Assembly opens up for women. Some of the others may have a less clear idea of what a constitution is and how they can, through this process; contribute to the improvement of the position of women. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues that women members of the Constituent Assembly, and those who in the broader society will be supporting them and hoping to work through them, will need to address in order to achieve a good constitution for the women of Nepal. It is not a paper of answers - it is more an agenda.

Women’s Representation in Local Government in Asia-Pacific: Going beyond National Targets in Monitoring Status for MDG 3 on Women’s Political Empowerment

More Asia Pacific countries than ever before have elected local governments and national parliaments. Despite the progress made in establishing democratic institutions in the Asia Pacifi c, women continue to participate unequally both as voters and as candidates. Equality of opportunity in politics is a human right. Despite international eff orts to strengthen the conduct of free and fair
elections throughout the world, insuffi cient attention and resources have been devoted to addressing the gap between male and female political participation.

By not measuring the percentage of women represented in sub-national governments with any MDG target, national strategies risk ignoring one of the most important arenas for women’s political participation. As part of the Millennium Project, the Task Force on Education and Gender Equality has identifi ed increasing women’s share of seats in national and local government bodies, as
one of the seven strategic priorities needed to achieve MDG 3 on gender equality2. To this end, the Task Force proposed the inclusion of an indicator (additional to the numbers of women in national parliament) on the percentage of seats held by women in local government bodies.

The local governments, through their national associations and global umbrella body, have expressed their commitment to the development, promotion and support of gender equality. The International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) sets out its Worldwide Declaration on Women in Local Government.

It is on this basis that the fi rst ever status report on Women’s Representation in Local Government in the Asia Pacific has been developed. This will contribute to the monitoring of the achievement of MDG 3 with the objective of deepening the understanding of the progress made towards goals set within the Millennium Declaration at all levels of government and all other commitments on gender equality, including international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) CEDAW and BPfA.

Nepal Human Development Report 2009 State Transformation and Human Development

Without peace, human development is not possible and without human development, peace is not sustainable. Both require inclusion and participation—which can evolve through the restructuring of the state and deepening of the democracy of a political system. This Report makes the case that inclusion and participation can restore sustainable peace and human development through state transformation. Politics—or the exercise of power through participation—matters for human development because people everywhere want to be free to determine their own destiny, express their views, and participate in the decisions that shape their lives. These capabilities are
just as important for human development— for expanding people’s choices—as being able to read or to enjoy good health. Democracy must widen and deepen if politics and political institutions are to promote human development and safeguard the freedom and dignity of all individuals. Peace, together with prosperity and democracy, also constitute the core mandates of the 2006 April Janandolan (people’s movement). This is articulated firmly in the Comprehensive Peace Accord and the Interim Constitution 2007. The Comprehensive Peace Accord has at least four components:

  • political and socioeconomic transformation;

  • management of armies and arms;

  • ceasefire provisions and measures for normalization; and

  • protection of human rights and fundamental rights.

This Report focuses on the political transformation or restructuring of the state for inclusion and for human development while recognising that implementing all the other components is necessary for peace. Here inclusion refers to the equitable political representation of the excluded segments
of Nepal’s population, including women, various caste and ethnic groups, and those who live in underdeveloped regions. Participation implies the active engagement of representatives in voicing the views of their constituencies so that these opinions are heard and heeded. The Report advances the view that because exclusion causes unequal human development— which, in turn, perpetuates exclusion— eliminating it through the equitable representation and participation of excluded groups and regions will improve the quality of human development. Consequently, the
Report explores different options in changes to the state structure or political system to accommodate the interests of different groups of people. Nevertheless, the Report
also recognises that equitable representation cannot alone resolve the problems of exclusion
unless those who represent Nepal’s various constituencies can influence policy decisions
through direct and active participation. Those now excluded are unlikely to participate as effectively as the advantaged groups because of their lower level of human development and endowment as chapter two presents, along with their marginalisation and socio-political repression. Inequalities in endowment not only create, but cause exclusion. Consequently, inequality and exclusion must end simultaneously in all its dimensions.