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YEMEN - QUOTA SYSTEM ENSURES FEMALE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, BUT FLAWS REMAIN

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the quota system, it is necessary for Yemen’s government to ensure that that there are strong enforcement mechanisms in place that require a set number of women in the country’s legislature, as the law explains.

Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Yemeni women have gained politicalrights, but some say they are not enough.

By Ghaidaa Alabsi - 2 December 2013 

SANA’A, Yemen – Yemeni women have long struggled for equal participation in the country’s political processes, but their efforts dramatically increased following the 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations in Yemen, where women stood alongside men during protests and called for the resignation of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

At the time, a failing economy, widespread unemployment, public dissatisfaction with the country’s constitution and government corruption meant Yemen was on the brink of experiencing a civil war.

But by many standards, it was ordinary Yemenis who forged a solution, and in November 2011 the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative was signed by Saleh, transferring power  to Vice President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi in exchange for freedom from prosecution. Under the initiative, a national unity government was created that evenly divided the government between Saleh’s ruling party and the opposition.

The initiative essentially staved off a civil war. One component of the Gulf initiative also established a National Dialogue Conference to create a new constitution and decide on a future political path for the country.

The NDC also put in place a constitutional provision that allots women 30 percent of seats in the country’s legislative branch and proposed a proportional system for the country’s elections, meaning that the number of seats won by a party or group is proportional to the number of votes received. The new electoral system also involves closed lists, meaning that voters vote from a select list of candidates.

These measures have been deemed a huge success in the fight for increased female participation in Yemeni politics. However, detractors say the quota system that allots a specific number of political seats to women is a weak conciliatory gesture designed to appease Yemeni women, and that it may be tough to enforce.

When British forces occupied Aden in 1839 and Yemen’s southern states became British protectorates, women fought alongside men in British army. This continued until Aden and the southern states declared independence in 1967, declaring the country “the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen” and placing it under the rule of the Yemeni Socialist Party.

The new regime pushed legislation and constitutional amendments that favored Yemeni women’s participation in politics. By 1970, Yemen’s constitution included an article that read, “the state shall ensure equal rights for men and women in all fields of life, the political, economic and social, and shall provide the necessary conditions for the realization of that equality.”

Under the constitution, women age 18 or older were given the right to vote. Like men, women age 24 or older were permitted to run for political office. However, only 10 out of a total 111 candidates in the country’s last elections for the Supreme People’s Council – the country’s chief legislative body – were women. These elections were last held in 1986, before the unification of South and North Yemen in 1990.

During this time, there were no quota systems in place for women entering politics. The first serious consideration of the quota system was addressed in 1975 during the United Nations’ First World Conference on Women.

Before the quota system was put in place, many viewed a woman entering politics as a complicated move. It was both stigmatized and seen as an uncertain path, given the absence of laws guaranteeing equal treatment to male politicians. These are also reasons why many Yemenis view the quota system as positive step forward, as it guarantees women political opportunities and a political voice.

Before the unification of North and South Yemen, women in North Yemen were severely limited in their ability to participate in the country’s politics. Women were allowed to vote, but were given few other political privileges. There was also no legislation in place to ensure that political rights were upheld.

After unification, women living in both the northern and southern parts of the country expected the start of a golden era of female political participation. However, this never manifested, and in fact, women in unified Yemen lost many of the rights they held formerly under the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen.

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the quota system, it is necessary for Yemen’s government to ensure that that there are strong enforcement mechanisms in place that require a set number of women in the country’s legislature, as the law explains.

The country’s political parties should also adopt the quota system in their electoral system, as this would open the door for more women to run as candidates for higher office and give them a real chance of being elected. Quotas with placement mandates would prevent political parties from putting female candidates at the bottom of the party ballot, where they have little to no chance of being elected. Having enforcement mechanisms would also mean consequences for political parties that do not abide by quota system rules.

The quota system could certainly be a step forward for women hoping to enter politics, but it is a gesture without much weight behind it if the requirement is not closely followed. There also remains a need for Yemeni women to make demands of the country’s government, not only for the purpose of enforce existing laws, but also to boost their presence in other areas of Yemeni politics, including higher office.

At the end of the day, the quota system is more of a numerical gain for women, which does not necessarily translate to a qualitative gain for female political participation in Yemen.