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Women rights organizations have urged the political parties and election commission to take care "not to undermine the already won battle" regarding women empowerment by failing to ensure 33 representation of women in the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) election. 

Nepal had become one among the few countries in the world with high women participation in the parliament by inducting 33 percent of women through the last CA election held in 2008.

Vanuatu’s Parliament has passed legislation providing for reserved seats for women in the country’s Municipal Councils.

The amendment to the Municipalities Act, which was passed with unanimous support among MPs, provides that one seat in every ward in a municipality must be reserved for a woman.

Under the new law, a female candidate for an election to a municipal council cannot contest for both a reserved seat and a general seat in a ward in a municipality.

To eliminate gender discrimination, the political parties should ensure 33% of the positions allotted to women in their party hierarchical structure by 2015, and include this in their election manifesto ahead of the 2014 general elections.

The call came at a meet the press on Saturday organised by Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) at the National Press Club.

The Election Commission has a vital role to play in ensuring women’s participation as well as achieve the target by 2015, they said.

NGOs in Serbia fear that in the coming reshuffle, the government will veer from the European standard of having at least 30 percent of women in its ranks.

Belgrade-based daily Danas reports that a letter cautioning that women should make up at least 30 percent the new government was sent on Monday to all members of the national parliament.

Members of the parliamentary Committee on Human and Minority Rights, and Commissioner for Equality Nevena Petrušić also received the letter.

As political parties concentrate around preparations for the Constituent Assembly (CA) election, protest programs demanding 33 percent women´s representation in the new CA has fallen under shadow. 

Inter Party Women Network (IPWN) had 3 weeks ago planned to carry out agitations in the capital at four different places to create pressure for the demand to be met. 
However, on seeing the parties too busy to notice them, IPWN had to cancel its street protests.

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Women wing welcomes Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom’s suggestion that there should generally be 40 per cent women involvement in the positions of power.

SPDP Women deputy chief Teresa Udam said they supported the call by Mawan, who is also SPDP president for more women leaders and women representation in decision-making processes.