Wanted: Women for democracy, peace and development

Look around your parliament, your government and your country’s top companies. How many women can you see in key decision-making positions?

Chances are women are dismally under-represented despite the fact that they constitute half the population and play a key role in your society and economy.

It is this challenge of fast-tracking gender equality which has hampered the progress of many Commonwealth countries, says Dr Khabele Matlosa, Research Director of the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa.

In a paper presented to the 8^th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (8WAMM) in Kampala, Uganda from 11 to 14 June, Dr Matlosa said that without gender equality, democracy may not be sufficiently institutionalised, sustainable development may not be realised and peace and human security may continue to elude many Commonwealth states.

“Democracy is supposed to transform power relations between women and men in such a manner that gender equality is promoted in terms of increased women’s participation in governance and development processes,” he says.

“While democracy and development are two sides of the same coin, without gender equality, both remain severely deficient. Leaders need to move from declarations to actions, with a constant monitoring of progress.”

Commonwealth countries are not alone here. Very few countries around the world can boast a strong contingent of women who have the power to make decisions. In both developed and developing states, women’s participation at top levels is found wanting.

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an advocacy group that promotes democracy, women’s representations in parliaments constituted only 17 per cent worldwide.

Some Commonwealth countries have shown remarkable progress over the past decade. Mozambique, South Africa, New Zealand and Tanzania stand out because more than 30 per cent of their members of parliament are women – a considerable achievement in global terms.

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This is no accident. It has been part of a major Commonwealth drive to increase women’s participation in key decision making bodies in the public, private and political spheres, outlined in the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality for 2005-2015 (POA).

It is no coincidence either that this reflects the end date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), because gender equality is central to development, democracy and peace.

Two years ago, Commonwealth Heads of Government met in Malta. They reviewed progress that had been made towards achieving a minimum 30 per cent target set at the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Member states were urged to review their policies and practices, to achieve this target, and for those already there, to attain a 50 per cent goal of gender equality.

This year represents the halfway point towards meeting the MDGs, and only four countries out of 53 can tick that box.

The Uganda Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting is the first since the Commonwealth Heads of Government adopted the Plan of Action. It is an opportunity to critically reflect how far the Plan has been implemented, the progress made, and the obstacles preventing the goals from being realised.

Dr Matlosa outlines six key areas of action:

- Investing in legal, institutional and policy reforms;

- Public funding for political parties;

- Voter and civic education;

- Electoral system reforms;

- Introduction and implementation of gender quotas; and

- Training and research in gender equality.

The Commonwealth has pressed for more funding for gender programmes.

Ann Keeling, who heads the Commonwealth Secretariat division that deals with education, health and gender, said the theme of the Uganda meeting – ‘Financing gender equality for development and democracy’ -- was a call for governments and global donors to put their cash where their mouth was.

“It reflects the growing awareness that women’s rights and gender equality are being overlooked as countries carry on relentlessly in their quest for development,” she said.

“In three years, when Women’s Affairs Ministers gather again, we could be looking at the Commonwealth as a model for other countries. The MDGs should be kept on the agenda with a focus on empowering women whose influence is essential to making them happen.

“In the Commonwealth and around the world, women are needed for democracy, peace and development.”

by Victoria Holdsworth of the Commonwealth News and Information Service.

Email: v.holdsworth@commonwealth.int