IPU Women in Politics Lessons Learned - Time for more Ambitious Measures
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Progress over the past 10 years. Highs & Lows. What works, what doesn't. Gender-responsive parliaments. Inter-Parliamentary Union
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IPU Women in Politics Lessons Learned - Time for more Ambitious Measures
- 1. Women in Parliament Lessons learned – time for more ambitious measures Geneva, 2 March 2017
- 2. Progress over the 10 past years • In January 2017, the world average of women in parliament reached 23.3%, up from 16.8% in 2007 This corresponds to: - a 6.5 percentage point increase since 2007 and - a 0.7 percentage point increase since 2016. • Women took 22.3% of all seats up for renewal in 2016. That compares to 25% in 2016. • 19.1% of women speakers of parliament (53 women). The proportion was 8.3% in 2005 and 15.8% in 2015.
- 3. Regional Trends as at January 2017 Americas (28.1%) • Highest regional average in 2017 • Increase of 15.4 percentage points since 1995 Europe (26.3%) •Increase of 13.1 percentage points since 1995 •Nordic country average: 41.7% Africa (23.2%) • Rwanda – world leader with 61.3% of women in Parliament • Increase of 13.8 percentage points since 1995 Asia (19.3%) • Increase of 6.1 percentage points since 1995 • Lowest regional progress Arab States (18.1%) • Increase of 13.8 percen- tage points since 1995 Pacific (17.4%) • Increase of 11.1 percen- tage points since 1995 • Region with lowest average of women in parliament
- 4. Highs and lows • Parliaments with more than 30% women MPs are more diverse: 20 years ago, majority of Nordic countries. Today the 30%+ group includes sub- Saharan Africa, Latin America, Europe, Arab States and Asia. • Twenty years ago, parliaments hovered around the 30% mark; today 12 lower or single houses have more than 40% women MPs. • The number of chambers with less than 10 percent women MPs has decreased – 34 lower or single houses today (as compared to 38 in January 2016) • Five parliamentary chambers have no women members at all.
- 5. Highlights in 2016 As a result of the 2016 elections: • 25% of parliamentary chambers in the world have at least 30% women members • Three parliaments have 50% or more women MPs in one of their chambers - Rwanda (Lower house), Bolivia (Lower house) and Belgium (Upper house) • Electoral quotas were used in 30 countries (35 chambers) – with 25.6% women MPs elected vs 16.1% women elected in countries with no quotas • Women took 23.9% of seats filled through proportional representation compared with 15% through majoritarian systems and 22.2% through appointment or indirect election
- 7. Factors that impact on women’s access to elected positions • Quotas - The main measures used to facilitate women’s access to parliament - More often now included in electoral laws than in the past, confirming the importance of the legal framework for gender equality in politics - Must be ambitious, detailed and include implementation mechanisms - Trend: some countries are moving towards parity but still in many cases quotas only target a “critical mass” (30-35%) - Do quotas have limits?
- 8. Factors that impact on women’s access to elected positions • Electoral systems - Proportional or mixed systems tend to facilitate women’s access to parliament - Where quotas exist, closed lists tend to favour women’s access; in the absence of quotas, open lists give women greater opportunity to compete • Political parties - Remain the main gatekeepers for women’s access to parliament - They play a fundamental role in the success or failure of women through candidacy, finance, endorsements, access to resources and leadership positions
- 9. Factors that impact on women’s access to elected positions • Political will • Cultural norms among the electorate; importance of role models and addressing stereotypes • Parliament as a place where women want to be - Parliaments open-up to women – gender sensitive parliaments • Violence against women in politics - Gender-based electoral violence, harassment and stereotypes hinder women’s participation
- 11. What do we mean? A gender-sensitive parliament is premised on the principle of gender equality – that is, that both men and women have an equal right to participate in its structures and processes, without discrimination and without recrimination. A gender-sensitive parliament responds to the needs and interests of both men and women in its structures, operations, methods and work.
- 12. • Gender-Sensitive Parliaments: A Global Review of Good Practice (2011) – Between 2009 and 2010, IPU researchers: - interviewed 50 men and women MPs - distributed questionnaires to parliamentary authorities, parliamentary party groups and individual MPs - conducted 17 national case studies in Latin America (5), the Asia-Pacific (4), Sub-Saharan Africa (3), Europe (3) and the Arab region (2). - It provides a set of international standards to inform policies on how to make parliaments gender-sensitive Research
- 13. Plan of Action for Gender- sensitive Parliaments • The Plan of Action was adopted by the 126th IPU Assembly, Quebec, 2012 • It is designed to support parliaments in their efforts to become more gender- sensitive • It presents a broad range of strategies in seven action areas that can be implemented by all parliaments, irrespective of the number of women members • It encourages parliaments to initiate and implement gender-sensitive reform in 4 steps: Evaluation, Roadmap and implementation, Monitoring and Promotion.
- 14. Seven Action Areas 1. Increase the number of women in parliament and achieve equality in participation 2. Strengthen gender equality legislation and policy 3. Mainstream gender equality throughout all parliamentary work 4. Institute or improve gender-sensitive infrastructure and parliamentary culture 5. Ensure that responsibility for gender equality is shared by all parliamentarians – men and women 6. Encourage political parties to be champions of gender equality 7. Enhance the gender sensitivity of, and gender equality among, parliamentary staff
- 15. GSP Self-assessment toolkit The purpose of the self-assessment is not to rank parliaments, but rather, to help parliaments to identify their strengths and weaknesses against international criteria, in order to determine priorities for strengthening the parliamentary institution. The toolkit provides a framework for discussion among members of parliament. The method involves answering questions about the nature and work of the parliament concerned.
- 16. How gender-sensitive is your parliament… …..In 6 questions 1. How many women are there in your parliament? What positions do they hold? 2. Are there laws to support gender equality? Does your parliament have gender equality objectives and a gender equality plan of action? Are workplace policies in tune with men and women’s realities? 3. Are gender considerations integral to the work of parliament? 4. Is the parliamentary culture non-sexist? Are there facilities suited to men and women? 5. Are men ready to shoulder their gender equality responsibilities? 6. How sensitive are political parties to gender?
- 17. Sexism, harassment and violence against women MPs
- 18. Violence against women in politics Three characteristics distinguish violence against women in politics: - It targets women because of their gender - Its forms can be gender specific, as exemplified by sexist threats and sexual violence - Its impact is to discourage women – in particular from being or becoming active in politics (Source: NDI international campaign #NotTheCost) It can manifest itself : • Among women voters and candidates in elections • Against women militants within political parties and civil society organizations • Against women elected or serving as public officials at national, local and other levels
- 19. Violence against women in politics • It constitutes a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights for women to participate in political processes fully, freely and safely • It is a global problem that impedes gender equality and undermines the foundation of democracy • Today, throughout the world, women as well as men are increasingly calling it unacceptable, with no place in political culture
- 20. The IPU research Experiences and perceptions of women MPs • 55 women MPs interviewed on voluntary base and in confidentiality • From 39 countries in the 5 regions • Represent all age groups • 58% are for majority parties and 42% for opposition parties Policies and mechanisms in place in parliament • 42 parliaments (53 chambers) in 5 regions responded to a questionnaire
- 21. The findings • The findings reveal troubling levels of prevalence of violence against women MPs – particularly for psychological violence, affecting 81.8% of the respondents in all countries and regions • 44.4% of the respondents had received threats of death, rape, beatings or kidnapping • 65% of the respondents had been subjected to sexist remarks primarily in parliament by male colleagues – from opposing parties as well as their own • The prevalence of other forms of violence is also troubling with sexual harassment in parliament at 20% and physical violence at 25.5%. October 2016
- 22. The findings • Such violence affects women MPs in all countries but is most acute for women MPs who are active in advancing women’s rights in a national context of general insecurity or in countries where there is a clear reticence to respect women’s rights • It complicates the job of women parliamentarians and adds challenge for them to perform their work freely and securely October 2016
- 23. The way for effective solutions: • Recognizing the problem • Naming it • Breaking the silence
- 24. Solutions exist, others can be found or invented • Strong laws, strictly enforced • Strong internal policies, structures and mechanisms in parliament • Changes in the political culture October 2016
- 25. No. That is not part of the political culture! • Sexism and violence must no longer be viewed as the inevitable consequences of women’s political participation • Men and women parliamentarians, and parliaments as institutions must set the right examples and say loud and clear that sexism and gender-based violence: - have no place in politics just like they are not tolerable in all other settings - will not be tolerated in parliament October 2016
- 26. Thank you Kareen Jabre IPU Director of Programmes kj@ipu.org
Editor's Notes
- Definitions
- We are not suggesting here that there a six simple steps to a gender sensitive parliament. In fact, it is safe to say that each of these steps is far from easy to achieve. The research suggests that parliaments have been able to make some progress on at least one of these steps, if not all of them. So, for example, some parliaments might be trying to work harder on their culture – through changes to acceptable parliamentary language for example – than on gender mainstreaming. I want to run through each of these steps, pointing out some positive examples.
- We are not suggesting here that there a six simple steps to a gender sensitive parliament. In fact, it is safe to say that each of these steps is far from easy to achieve. The research suggests that parliaments have been able to make some progress on at least one of these steps, if not all of them. So, for example, some parliaments might be trying to work harder on their culture – through changes to acceptable parliamentary language for example – than on gender mainstreaming. I want to run through each of these steps, pointing out some positive examples.
- Is your parliament gender-sensitive? 1. How many women are there in your parliament? What positions do they hold? 2. Are there laws to support gender equality? Does your parliament have gender equality objectives and a gender equality plan of action? Are workplace policies in tune with men and women’s realities? 3. Are gender considerations integral to the work of parliament? 4. Is the parliamentary culture non-sexist? Are there facilities suited to men and women? 5. Are men ready to shoulder their gender equality responsibilities? 6. How sensitive are political parties to gender?
- Is your parliament gender-sensitive? 1. How many women are there in your parliament? What positions do they hold? 2. Are there laws to support gender equality? Does your parliament have gender equality objectives and a gender equality plan of action? Are workplace policies in tune with men and women’s realities? 3. Are gender considerations integral to the work of parliament? 4. Is the parliamentary culture non-sexist? Are there facilities suited to men and women? 5. Are men ready to shoulder their gender equality responsibilities? 6. How sensitive are political parties to gender?
- The IPU Issues Brief focuses on violence against women MPs. It is based on the experience of women parliamentarians – in- depth interviews with 55 women MPs from 39 countries covering the 5 regions of the world. It is also based on the experiences of their parliaments, as institutions. 53 chambers in 5 regions responded to a questionnaire We would like to take this opportunity to thank the women MPs who accepted to participate in the survey and who broke the silence about this problem.
- The Issues Brief identifies forms of violence against women MPs, phychological, sexual, physical and economic. The study reveal troubling levels of prevalence of VAW MPs – particularly for psychological violence, the most widely spread form, affecting 81.8% of the respondents in all countries and regions 44.4% of the respondents had received threats of death, rape, beatings or kidnapping Social media is the number one place where psychological violence against women MPs is perpetrated However 65% of the respondents had been subjected to sexist remarks primarily in parliament by men colleagues – from opposing parties as well as their own The prevalence of other forms of violence is also troubling with sexual harassment in parliament at 20% and physical violence at 25.5%.
- The Issues Brief highlights that solutions exist and others can be invented. But it all starts by recognizing the existence of the problem, naming it and breaking the silence about it
- Respondents have stressed solutions to prevent and respond to such behaviours and acts, in particular strong and enforced laws on equality and combating sexism and violence against women as well as changes in the political culture. The study also calls upon Parliaments to define and apply policies and mechanisms to deter such behaviour.
- So, sexism and violence must no longer be viewed as the inevitable consequences of women’s political participation The study calls upon men and women parliamentarians, and parliaments as institutions to set the right examples and say loud and clear that sexism and gender-based violence: have no place in politics just like they are not tolerable in all other settings will not be tolerated in parliament I will stop here. This was to give you an idea of the results of the survey. The Issues Brief will be launched during the Parity Debate on Wednesday. More information on the results will be presented and discussed at this occasion.