Gender, Democracy, Peace & Conflict

One of the fundamental principles adopted by Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in the Harare Declaration 1991 is gender equality at all levels and in all policies and programmes. Several other Commonwealth policy documents, declarations and frameworks underlines the Commonwealth’s commitment to gender equality, democracy and development, including women’s right to political participation and representation.

These include:

• The Harare Declaration 1991;
• The Latimer House Guidelines; and
• The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005 – 2015 (PoA), which was endorsed by the Heads of Government in the Malta Communiqué 2005, to mention just a few.

In emphasising the importance of promoting representative democracy, these instruments urge member countries to review and repeal structural and/or legal obstacles and discriminations that are likely to perpetuate cultural, social, economic and political marginalisation of women in political processes, and ensure that international legal standards are domesticated into their national laws.

Specifically, guidelines such as the Latimer House principles and the Plan of Action urge governments and the Secretariat to promote legislation and electoral laws that ensure the agreed minimum target of 30% of political posts to be held by women and strive for higher representation where this has been achieved. In fact, the Latimer House principles, emphasizes the need for ‘safe seats’ for women where such affirmative action is deemed necessary.

Thus, equal participation and representation of women and men in leadership and decision-making processes particularly in the political domain, continues to dominate discourse among Commonwealth member countries as well as around the world. Issues discussed often include:

a) types of political systems;

b) elections;

c) campaign financing;

d) Political parties and manifestos; and

e) Women’s strategies including ‘good practices’.

In the discussions around political systems, two major types are often compared, the ‘First Past the Post’ (FPTP) fashioned after the ‘Westminster Model

1. the Proportional Representation (PR) system, practiced in South Africa
2. Notable systems within the Commonwealth are ‘Constitutional Monarchies’ such as in Swaziland, and Tonga. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2006, Swaziland adopted their first Constitution with assistance from the Commonwealth. Irrespective of the political system, the Commonwealth Secretariat through the Gender Section in collaboration with other divisions strives to provide support and technical assistance through training, capacity building, election monitoring and exchange of good practices to member countries in order to promote balanced representation and strengthen democracies and good governance within member countries. Workshops and training programmes were held in Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Nigeria and Pakistan in collaboration with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

Some examples of progress on women’s political participation:

As of 2004, Ms Luisa Dias Dioga is the first woman ever to hold the position of Prime Minister in Mozambique;

• Election of Hon Portia Simpson Miller as the Prime Minister of Jamaica;
• Appointment of Hon Alisi Taumoepeau, as the first female Cabinet Minister, with the Justice portfolio in the Kingdom of Tonga;
• Appointment of three female Ministers in the cabinet of the Island of Samoa;
• An enviable record of 42.3% of women in the South African cabinet, the second highest in the world;
• Appointment of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Finance Minister in Nigeria with notable success (hitherto, a traditional preserve/domain for men in most countries);

and the recent appointment of Dr Asha Rose Migiro (former Minister for Gender Affairs, Tanzania), was the second female Deputy Secretary-General (UNDSG) of the United Nations.

Another example of success is the achievement of 22% for women in the legislature; the review of discriminatory laws (Hudood Ordinance); and the election 37,000 women local councillors in Pakistan.

Overall, at the end of 2006, the number of Commonwealth countries that achieved and maintained the 30% minimum target for women in politics fell from six (6) to four (4), while the number of countries with twenty (20%) per cent and above, rose from six (6) in 1999, to nine (9). Similarly, there were setbacks in several countries, where elected women lost their seats in parliaments and portfolios in government.

Securing lasting peace remains a challenge for member countries of the Commonwealth and elsewhere.

While there was relative decrease in the number of conflicts among member countries in the last few years, as well as agreements to cease fire and negotiations in northern Uganda, a number of intra, (ethnic) and inter uprisings in countries such as Nigeria, Fiji Islands, Solomon Islands, and Bougainville were recorded. In fact, at the end of 2006, the uprising in Fiji Islands resulted in the overthrow of the democratically elected government. One of the consequences of the coup in Fiji Islands, is the suspension of Fiji Islands from the Commonwealth in accordance with Harare Principles, after careful deliberations of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

Engaging the Secretary General’s Good Offices, support and assistance continued in conflict affected areas and quiet/track-two diplomacy missions were conducted by the Secretary General’s Special Envoys to the Gambia, Cameroon, Guyana, and Pakistan.

Furthermore, the Commonwealth Secretariat addressed the United Nations Security Council at the Open Debate on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ in October 2005, highlighting our approach and efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR 1325) through elections support, and its latest book in the gender mainstreaming series, “Mainstreaming in Conflict Transformation: Building Sustainable Peace”.

The Secretariat has also been working to build and strengthen strategic partnerships with for instance the Best Practices Unit of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York. This partnership created the first ever interface between women’s constituencies, troop and police contributing countries to explore strategies to improve pre-deployment training of peacekeepers and promote gender sensitive interventions.

In reviewing the intersections between democracy, peace and development, and in seeking to support the international commitment (UNSCR 1325), the Commonwealth Heads of National Women’s Machineries at their meeting in February 2007, approved Terms of Reference for a Commonwealth Working Group on Gender, Peace and Security.

This proposal will be put forward for ministers’ consideration at 8WAMM. Progress in the area of increasing women’s participation in decision-making and peace-building, post-conflict reconstruction processes remains slow, and to a large degree, the domain of politics and decision-making remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, where traditional patriarchal values are perpetrated and stereotypical perceptions of women and their ‘expected roles’ still flourish. Women continue to be underrepresented and have little access to political processes, despite the fact that they represent more than fifty per cent of the electorates in most member countries. Thus, democracy cannot be achieved without the participation of more than half the population, who remain disenfranchised.

As the International Parliamentary Union’s report (2005) indicated, women held a world average of 16.2 percent of elected seats, up from 13 percent in 19,993 of the world’s legislatures.

Elections are a fundamental aspect of democracy and women’s equal participation is a prerequisite for free and fair conduct of elections. However, where women are denied access to participate and be represented as voters, candidates, election observers, serve in election management bodies and political parties, particularly at the decision-making levels, representative democracy will remain elusive.