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Research to Advance Women’s Political Representation in Forum Island Countries (commissioned by PIFS)

Research to Advance Women’s Political Representation in Forum Island Countries (commissioned by PIFS). Objectives Coverage Methodology Recommendations. Objectives.

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Research to Advance Women’s Political Representation in Forum Island Countries (commissioned by PIFS)

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  1. Research to Advance Women’s Political Representation in Forum Island Countries(commissioned by PIFS)

  2. Objectives CoverageMethodologyRecommendations

  3. Objectives • To begin to address the need to “increase the current low level of participation by women at all levels in decision-making processes and structures” by:

  4. 1. Understanding the assets of the region which can be built on to increase the level of participation by women in political decision-making; • 2. Understanding the barriers to women accessing leadership positions throughout the region, whether these are institutional/structural, cultural, religious, socio-economic or political;

  5. 3. Reviewing the electoral systems used in the FICs and neighbouring Island countries and territories, and assessing their impact on women’s political representation; • 4. Assessing international practices which have enhanced representation of women in political decision-making (especially in terms of parliamentary representation), including the use of quotas, and assessing their applicability to countries of the region.

  6. Proposing measures to increase the level of representation of women in political decision-making processes and structures in the FICs, based on international best practices and regional specificities. • Study in line with 1995 Beijing Declaration’s recommendation that Governments’ “Review the differential impact of electoral systems on the political representation of women in elected bodies and consider… the adjustment or reform of those systems”.

  7. Coverage • The overall study is both regional and national in scope: • The regional component is divided into two parts: • Part 1 examines the factors which 1) enable and 2) constrain women’s political advancement in the Pacific • Part 2 examines electoral systems, quotas, reserved seats, local level representation and various issues which limit women’s political representation

  8. 3 National reports: • Nauru • Tonga • Tuvalu

  9. Part 1 Regional • Enabling factors • International, regional, national commitments • No officially endorsed discrimination against women • Constitutions mostly prohibit discrimination – Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG and Samoa – contain affirmative action provisions • Culturally and socially, women’s roles are valued • Women breaking through in many socio-economic areas

  10. Constraining factors • Lack of institutional support for women in politics • Patriarchal and conservative nature of contemporary culture – women as partners but behind • Socio-economic factors not fully equal • The roughness of political competition

  11. Part 2 -Electoral systems • Range of electoral systems • Most in the Pacific not conducive to having higher women’s representation • Not designed with women’s representation in mind • Jon Fraenkel’s slides – • electoral systems • Quotas/reserved seats • Combination of factors needed to improve women’s representation

  12. The national studies cover • Nauru • Tonga • Tuvalu • They provide • 1. information on • socio-economic factors, • the position of women in politics, • National machinery and policy on gender and development • Constitutional and legal factors • Present Electoral system

  13. Methodology • The regional report, Parts 1 and 2 were conducted as desk reviews • Use of existing reports and academic research • Questionnaires were sent out where there was a lack of information on certain countries • many informed individuals were consulted to gather data

  14. National reports – range of methods • Desk review • Questionnaires • Individual interviews (including case studies) • National consultations • Focus group discussions • Media engagement • Methodology designed to gauge the support for the introduction of measures to promote women’s political representation

  15. Recommendations (summary) • Regional Actions • Monitoring centre for the advancement of Women in Decision-Making • PIFS to coordinate sub-regional workshops on special measures and electoral reform • PIFS facilitate special measures to be pursued • Media quality coverage of women in politics • Production of toolkit materials on women’s representation • Women in decision making on Forum leaders’ 2007 agenda

  16. National recommendations • Specific suggestions regarding fast-tracking solutions – electoral systems, reserved seats, quotas etc • Creation of enabling environments to supplement institutional reforms • Gender budgeting for improving women’s rep. • strengthening data collection • Capacity building for parliamentarians • Structural changes in parliaments • Adoption, review of campaign financing

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