YEMEN: Women call for a 30-percent quota in upcoming elections
|
Calls for greater participation of women in politics |
SANA, 8 Mar 2006 (IRIN) - Wrapping up on the eve of
International Women's Day on Tuesday, participants at a conference in Sana urged
that 30 percent of the contested seats in upcoming local elections be reserved
for women.
The closing statement of the two-day National Women's
Conference – entitled,"30 Percent Women in the Local Elections: Translation of
Words into Action" – called on politicians to bring more women into
decision-making positions.
This, the statement noted, would serve to
improve the situation of women in Yemen, a deeply conservative country in which
females are seldom appointed to significant political positions due to
longstanding cultural mores.
"The quota system is very much needed to
boost political participation [by women] in all key positions," said Huryah
Mashhoor, vice chairperson of the government-run Women's National Committee and
organiser of the recent conference. "It will also ensure equal and fair
representation of women.” Mashhoor added: “Our demand is in line with the models
set by some other countries."
More than 100 participants from all over
Yemen called for the appointment of women to important government positions,
particularly in the ministries of planning, finance and foreign affairs. They
also called for greater representation in the 111-member Shura Council, the
consultative upper house of parliament.
Currently, there are only two
women in the cabinet, with one heading the ministry of human rights and the
other fronting the ministry of social affairs.
Conference participants
also called for local and international support for election campaigns by
independent female candidates in the upcoming election, scheduled for September.
According to government statistics, the number of registered female
voters has almost trebled, from 15 percent of total voters in 1993 to 42 percent
in 2003. However, the number of female candidates running in elections fell over
the same period, from 42 percent to 11 percent. Female activists explain the
discrepancy by pointing out that Islamic parties have mobilised women to vote,
but have discouraged them to stand as candidates.
The number of women
winning parliamentary seats has also shrunk, from 11 in 1990 [in the parliament
of former South Yemen], to a single woman in the current 301-seat
assembly.
As in some other Arab countries, women in Yemen are still
fighting hard for their rights in a society plagued by poverty and illiteracy.
"There are a lot of constraints facing women's political participation,” said Dr
Bilqis Abu-Osba'a, a professor of political science at Sana University.
“This includes illiteracy and traditional tribal society, as well as a
lack of earnest support from political parties, which don’t push a good number
of women into leading positions."
"The quota system is the best solution
for women in Yemen right now,” Abu-Osba'a added. “It will help change society's
traditional image of women."
However, Abu-Osba'a pointed to the presence
of a small number of women in key positions in certain political parties, as
well as announcements by some of these parties in support of the quota, as
indications of gradual change.
"Despite the conservative nature of
Yemeni society, in which women's roles have traditionally been associated with
domestic work,” she noted, “there is no legal obstacle preventing women from
participating in elections.”
_________________________________________________________________________________