Advocacy and Lobbying

In the 2019 general election, Indonesians voted more women into the national parliament than ever before. After the first election of the post-authoritarian period in 1999, women’s representation was a paltry 8.8%, so the rise to 20.9% in 2019 seemed worth celebrating. Indeed, women activists had worked long and hard to reach this point. Disappointed with the results of the first two elections, they had successfully pushed for a candidate quota, requiring parties to nominate at least 30% women.

The Ministry of Women in Solomon Islands is looking at new legislation which could guarantee extra seats for women in provincial assemblies.

The SIBC reports in the 45 years of independent governance, 16 women have been voted into Provincial Assemblies and six into Parliament.

UN Women organized an Information Sharing Meeting on Strengthening Women's Political Participation and Decision Making in cooperation with the Committee on Equality Opportunities for Women and Men (EOC) of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA).

Traditionally, across South Sudan, women and girls have been disproportionately affected by conflict. Add to this, cultural norms, such as early or forced marriages, and there is a significant gap in attaining equal rights for women.

As this young nation approaches its first post-independence elections, the need for more women in politics and governance is clear.

The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, last month committed to a revitalised gender equality declaration. This declaration, spearheaded by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, was subject to extensive consultation across the region.

Stakeholders have advocated the implementation of gender-inclusive policy-making to address the challenges facing women in the country.

This was as Women Trust Fund (WTF) observed that the widening gender gap in political opportunities would worsen issues for women.

In a significant development, representatives from major political parties have unequivocally expressed their commitment to advancing women’s political participation.