First world Conference on Women’s Political Participation ( CWPP)
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First world Conference on Women’s Political Participation (CWPP)
Fourteen Years after Beijing
The International network for women’s political participation organizes the First world Conference on Women’s Political Participation. Several initiatives are currently being undertaken to contribute to the reduction of this democratic deficit. UNIFEM, UNDP and international organizations, women and feminists organizations have undertaken to support in several ways women’s political participation.
In July 2007, UNIFEM in partnership with the International Relations Institute of the University of Yaoundé I organized a colloquium on women’s political participation. The colloquium brought together experts, the academia and women in politic from Cameroon, Senegal, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania and Norway. The colloquium was organized within the framework of the Gender and Elections Programme implemented in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, DRC and Cameroon. One of the recommendations of the colloquium was the organizing of international gatherings to develop a collective strategy of support to women’s participation in decision making.
The Goal of the International Conference on Women’s Political Participation (CWPP)
The ICWPP fall within the above mentioned recommendations. It is forum of exchange, of sharing strategies on a sustainable women’s political participation and reduce the democratic deficit in the next five years. In addition to information sharing, participants will be expected to define strategies to implement the recommendations put forth at the last global review on the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action as follows:
1. Encourage more studies on the relationship between poverty and exclusion, decision making and policies
2. Encourage quantitative and qualitative studies on the results for the introduction of quotas and other mechanisms of positive discrimination to increase access and women’s participation in power and in decision making and a wide dissemination of lessons learned.
3. Promote date collection disaggregated by sex on women in politics and other political lines of influence, particularly on minority and indigenous women
4. Encourage more research on the role of the media in political participation
5. Promote the creation of a social culture which does not only women in positions of responsibility but recognizes the importance of women leadership in society
6. Promote broader coordination and coherence in the methodology and standards applied to control
7. Continue efforts to promote a more positive image of women as managers in the media.
8. Encourage a better transparency, responsibility and better surveillance tools to ensure gender balance including in the UN System
9. On the basis of experience obtained, replicate training initiatives to improve the self confidence of women and to encourage them to take up decision making positions as well as participate in decision making and leadership
10. On the basis of experience obtained, replicate training initiatives particularly those on mentoring to strengthen the capacity of women to participate in decision making and leadership
11. Actively promote leadership and the self esteem of women with disabilities and those belonging to a minority ethic group and encourage them to participate in electoral processes, in political activities as well as in leadership domains
The ICWPP will focus on the following eleven critical areas
a. Protection of Women’s rights
to freely associate
to express their views publicly
to openly discuss politic
to submit request to authorities
to participate on equal footing with men in the management of public affairs at all levels, including the formulation and implementation of government interventions
b. Legislation, regulations and other practices dealing with access to power
Analyse existing systems in order to recommend interventions that will to the adoption of legislation, regulations and practices that contribute in ending the systematic discrimination against women while promoting women’s political participation, particularly through appropriate positive measures to achieve equality between men and women.
To support the adoption of electoral systems favouring women’s political representation in electoral organs and, where necessary adjust or reform the electoral system.
c. Political parties
The role of political parties is crucial in the mechanisms dealing with access to power. Participants will analyse the operations of political parties and will recommend interventions for appropriate measures to be taken to:
d. Social transformation
Participants at the ICWPP will analyse social practices with the goal to define interventions aiming at changing social attitudes unfavourable to women’s capacity to participate on equal footing with men in the political process.
e. Capacity building and training
The acquisition of knowledge and appropriate skills on participation, in decision making in the public service is determining factor for women. The ICWPP will analyse the means and ways to develop initiatives to improve the political competence of women.
f. Public Service
The ICWPP will analyse the issues on equal participation of men and women in decision making in the public service. Guidelines will be provided to increase the number of women holding public employment, while proceeding to identify obstacles hindering women’s access to high level positions in the public service. The issue of gender balance in delegations which represent the country at meetings and conferences organized by the United Nations and other organizations and international organizations will be examined as well.
g. Poverty, scarcity and women’s political participation
Money is at the centre of politics, financing electoral campaigns and other political activities is one of the critical issues underpinning women’s political participation. Participants will examine existing linkages between poverty reduction, women’s empowerment particularly as it relates to their participation in political life with the view of making concrete recommendations for solution.
h. Women, politics and media
The role of the media in the search for equal participation of men and women in decision making is crucial. The ICWPP will examine the impact of the media on women’s political participation and will analyse strategies that will enable the media to contribute in creating favourable conditions for women’s participation in decision making.
i. Women’s participation in transitional governments and post conflict elections
Women are usually considered and perceived to be victims of armed conflicts. History shows that they play an important political role during conflicts, they are least considered in peace negotiation and power sharing decisions. The ICWPP will analyse the important role women play in armed conflict and examine ways and means to promote an equal participation in post conflict decision making..
Caucus
□ Women’s participation in decision making
□ Right to women’s participation in decision making at all levels: from formal to real
□ Women and Elections: Trends on women’s political participation
□ Decision making in the public service
□ Women in power: the reality of exercising power on a daily basis(testimonies)
□ Women in Parliament: Integrate women’s concerns in the agendas of national assemblies.
□ Women’s participation in decision making in post conflict countries.
□ Women’s psrticipationin the security sector reform.
Participants
Participants are from women associations, feminists associations, international organizations, political parties, governments, human rights organizations, universities and research centres. Ideally, the ICWPP will have participants from each country as follows: two persons from women and feminist associations, one participant from the syndicate movement, one from government, one from parliament, one from political parties and one from the university or research institution. Women’s participant in Cameroon is open, since the ICWPP is taking place in Yaounde. The same criteria mentioned above will apply to them.
Venue and date: 6, 7, 8 and October 2009, Congress House, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Mailing address : CWPP CP 32262 Succursale St Andre Quebec H2L 4Y5
Web site: http://www.femmesetpolitique.org
Information: info.cmppf@gmail.com