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Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

Women make up more than half of Africa's population, but their representation in politics in the past decade has been insignificant.

With a numerical significance of 52 percent against their male counterparts, women are least likely to hold political positions and exercise authority across the continent. They are also the majority of voters, but sadly they are not represented in politics and governance despite their calls for inclusion over the years.

What then could be the reason for this mismatch between numbers and political representation?

According to UN Women, two main obstacles prevent women from participating fully in political life. These are structural barriers, where discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women's ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, which occur when women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

Systematic gender bias against female leadership, entrenched in socio-cultural and religious values that strongly assert that a woman's position is in the kitchen still persists in Africa.

Click here to read the full article published by All Africa on 29 October 2020.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

A few days ago, Chile held a historical plebiscite to decide whether the country should draft a new constitution, and through which mechanism; a fully elected constitutional convention, with gender parity, or a mixed convention integrated by current members of congress and elected citizens. This was the first national referendum since the ones that initiated the transition to democracy in 1988 and 1989.

The election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was conducted in an orderly manner, with final results announced only a few hours after polls closed, accepted by all, and peacefully celebrated throughout the country.

The “approve” option to draft a new constitution won by an overwhelming majority, obtaining 78 percent of the vote, and the second ballot, the option of an all elected “Constitutional Convention” obtained 79 percent of the vote. This convention will be required to secure gender parity in the allocation of seats, using an innovative electoral mechanism. Making Chile the first country in the world with a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men.

There is an expectation that reserved seats for indigenous peoples will also be secured, but an agreement on this issue is still pending.

Opening this participatory process was the result of a landmark agreement among political parties in Congress, subsequently launched by the President of the Republic, and an institutional response to the political and social turmoil following massive protests that began at the end of 2019.  The drafting of a new constitution was among the demands raised by citizens, along with others that sought greater socioeconomic equality.

The process is also recognized as a means to introduce structural changes in the country. The current constitution was originated in 1980, during President Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship and, despite the many amendments it has undergone, its suitability has remained challenged by several sectors since the country’s return to democracy.

Polls had predicted a large victory for both the “approve” and “constitutional convention” options. Voter turnout, crucial for providing legitimacy to the process, remained a key question mark, considering that electoral participation had dropped dramatically since the nineties, staying below regional and world averages. UNDP Chile has been studying this phenomenon for years, publishing an in-depth assessment of electoral participation in 2017and a broader analysis of democracy in 2020, showing that this decline had become a structural characteristic of the Chilean democracy. This was interpreted as a consequence and an indicator of deteriorating representation mechanisms and a declining trust in institutions.

Despite past trends and the new obstacles posed by COVID-19 participation reached 50.9 percent of registered voters. Over 7.5 million people voted, about 500,000 more than in the last presidential election in 2017, the highest ever number of voters in Chilean history. Another positive aspect was the smaller gap between more affluent and poorer municipalities and cities, particularly evident in the capital of Santiago, where participation reached 56 percent with major increases in voting in poor neighborhoods, where the “approve” option won by even greater margins than in the national average.

The constitutional process seems to have helped revert the downward trend in participation. Renewed efforts to increase electoral participation will remain key for strengthening representative democracy.

The next step in the process will be the election of members of the Constitutional Convention in April 2021, concurrent with municipal and regional elections. The Convention will convene for nine months that can be extended, only once, for an additional three.  At the end of that period, citizens will be asked to vote again on the final text in a closing constitutional referendum with mandatory voting. The constitutional process will run parallel to the largest electoral cycle in the country since the return to democracy, with primaries, municipal, regional, congressional, and presidential elections scheduled through early 2022.

In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic, the constitutional process has opened a precious opportunity to address citizens’ demands and build a new rapport with politics and state institutions. It offers an institutional route for a societal dialogue regarding the development model, the role of the state in the provision of social goods, and the distribution of power in a persistent unequal society.

The milestone reached with the successful holding of the plebiscite is good news for the country and all of its citizens in a challenging road ahead. Chilean society has offered an example to the world in choosing peaceful political avenues to address national challenges and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.

Source: UNDP.

UNDP and Sweden support awareness-raising among first-time voters.

The upcoming parliamentary elections offer Georgia a chance to vote more women into office, overcoming a long-standing gender disparity in political representation. In support of greater openness to women in politics, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Sweden are assisting civil society activists in Georgia’s regions to educate first-time voters about democratic elections and gender equality.

“There is no shortage of smart, capable women leaders in Georgia,” said UNDP Head Louisa Vinton. “But we can see that parties remain reluctant to put them on their electoral lists. Georgia’s new electoral gender quota, though still very modest in its ambitions for the Parliament, is one way to overcome this reserve, but we also need to work to combat negative stereotypes and prejudices, particularly among the younger generation.”

“The last parliamentary elections gave women only 15 percent of seats in the Parliament. This year, Georgia has a real chance to bring more women into the political process and generate a more representative legislature. This would advance Georgia’s democracy, development and European integration,” Ambassador of Sweden Ulrik Tideström said.  “Yet we see the need for continuous public discussion to dispel the gender clichés prevailing in society.”

Click here to read the full article published by Georgia Today on 9 October 2020.