By Sarah Alzouman, Staff writer Kuwait Times
KUWAIT: In honor of International Women's Day, Sout Al-Kuwait hosted a round table discussion about the role of women in Kuwaiti society which was attended by activists representing women in art, society, politics, sports and journalism.
Although the speakers and subject matter varied, the main message was that the dream for an equal role for women in society to benefit the entire nation required the cooperation of the entire nation to become a reality. "Women are assets to their nation socially, politically and in any field they participate in," stated Nabila Al-Anjeri, a former parliamentary candidate. Al-Anjeri said that this reality had unfortunately become lost among false claims that women's participation in politics contradicted moral or cultural values.
Dr Aseel Alawadhi, a professor at Kuwait University and former parliamentary candidate, added that a patriarchal society that excludes women from a number of spheres, including the political, is a major stumbling block on women's road to equality. "Women must have a role in politics simply by virtue of being citizens of Kuwait. Unfortunately, a male dominated culture leads to a crisis of confidence about the ability of women to participate in the political process, not only in the minds of men, but in the minds of women as well.
Alawadhi remained optimistic, however, that Kuwaiti women are more than capable of achieving their political goals. "Women's experience in politics is a very recent one, and I consider it extremely successful so far," she said. Alawadhi pointed to the results of the last elections, in which a number of female candidates, Alwadhi among them, put up very competitive numbers as evidence of the great advancements women had made in a short period of political participation.
The segregation of men and women in educational institutions was another issue criticized by both speakers and attendees. Suhaila Al-Najdi, an art professor at Kuwait University, was surprised that an exhibit of student art was subject to segregation, asking why a work of art created by a male student should not be exhibited by a female. The kind of attitude that would lead to such segregations damages the academic environment and ultimately the society as well, Al-Najdi declared.
Iman Al-Kout, Tae Kwon Do champion and instructor, said the path for Kuwaiti women athletes was an arduous one because they are disadvantaged in comparison to their international colleagues. Al-Kout said that women athletes who perform on the international level are supported by societies who respect and encourage sports excellence, something sorely lacking in Kuwait.
After the discussion, Alwadhi and Al-Anjeri spoke in more detail about their involvement in past elections and the challenges that are magnified in the case of women candidates, most notably securing funding for their campaigns and the very nature of campaigning in Kuwait. The social nature of campaigning was established in an exclusively male political environment with 25 constituencies. Now that there are five constituencies, the sheer size and number of voters makes the old model impracticable, especially for professional women who run for office, Al-Anjeri explained.
Despite these difficulties, Alawadhi said she was against changing the number of constituencies from five to ten and against the establishment of a quota system for women in parliament. The establishment of five constituencies is a parliamentary right, Alawadhi stated, passed under tremendous support of Kuwaiti citizens and she was against any unconstitutional change in the law.
Alawadhi also opposed the idea of a quota for women in Parliament, insisting that even if it is a long process, women would gain invaluable experience in the political process. "We cannot just change the Constitution and force the situation when we still have not seen the full results of women's political participation. Women should be given the chance to gain experience and establish themselves as politicians so that when women reach Parliament, they have proven their capabilities and earned people's trust and confidence.
Showing posts with label quota system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quota system. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Egypt: Reform to continue
Before a joint session of the People's Assembly and Shura Council to mark the opening of parliament President Hosni Mubarak vowed in a keynote speech that neither the current global financial crisis nor local economic conditions would stand in the way of reform. "We have travelled a long way on the road of political and socio-economic reform but must still introduce a further package of serious reforms to complete the modernisation of our legislative and constitutional structure," Mubarak said.
He told parliamentarians that a new list of draft reform laws were ready to be discussed in the new session, including legislative amendments aimed at increasing the number of women serving in parliament. Only nine seats in the 454-seat People's Assembly are currently held by women, four of them elected and five appointed by the president. The 264-seat Shura Council has 21 women members, 20 presidential appointees and a single elected member.
Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab told Al-Ahram Weekly that three amendments will be introduced to help increase the number of women parliamentarians.
"We will have to amend the 1956 law on the exercise of political rights, the 1972 law regulating the People's Assembly and the 1980 law governing the Shura Council."
"A ministerial legislative group," Shehab continued, "is currently discussing the necessary amendments, probing the possibility of creating up to 56 new electoral districts."
President Mubarak's announcement that the number of female lawmakers is to be increased provoked mixed reactions.
Leading Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama pointed out that increasing women's representation hardly tops the political reform agenda. "Other priorities," he said, "include amending the parties law in order to enhance competition in political life and revoking the emergency law to curtail the intimidation of independent and opposition political activists."
Under the current electoral laws, says Salama, there is little doubt that most, if not all, new female lawmakers will belong to the NDP.
Shehab also informed the Weekly that amendments to the electoral law are being appraised. "There are a lot of opinions, some in favour and some against changing the current individual candidacy system," said Shehab, adding that "the NDP prefers that this critical issue become a matter of dialogue with all political forces ahead of parliamentary elections in 2010."
President Mubarak went on to tell both houses of parliament to expect changes to the 1993 law regulating elections to professional syndicates. "The amendment," says Shehab, "will provide greater facilities for voting and guarantee that the boards of syndicates are elected in a democratic way."
The current law, drafted by the NDP in 1993, was conceived to prevent the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood from infiltrating civil society organisations, especially professional syndicates. Brotherhood members, however, have been able to control the boards of the Lawyers' and Doctors' Syndicates while the Engineers' Syndicate, bogged down in legal disputes, has long been placed under judicial sequestration.
President Mubarak revealed that he has given instructions that parliament should draft new regulations covering nuclear activities "as part of the strategic decision taken last year to launch an ambitious nuclear programme". Mubarak devoted a large part of his speech to reviewing the impact of the global financial crisis on Egypt. "The first quarter of the current fiscal year registered a growth rate of 5.8 per cent, compared to a high 6.5 per cent during the first quarter of last year," Mubarak said. He urged the government to act to ensure that the burdens of the crisis do not fall on the shoulders of the poor.
"I have asked the government to increase investment spending and to increase the budget deficit slightly, a shortfall that we will recover from in the coming year without placing additional burdens on citizens."
As part of a new financial package regulating the stock market, insurance and real estate markets is to be tightened. "The measures will unify regulators in a single authority in order to better confront crises and attract local and international investments," Mubarak said.
He vowed that the global credit crunch would not deflect the government from pursuing economic reform, saying "the need to provide the private sector with greater incentives in the two areas of investment and exports is more pressing than ever". He did not, however, make any reference to the controversial scheme to distribute shares in government-owned companies to the public free of charged. The programme was officially announced by Gamal Mubarak, the chairman of the NDP's powerful Policies Committee, and Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin, on 10 November.
Gamal Mubarak, in a meeting with leading NDP members of the board of the General Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (GFETU) on Monday, argued that "privatisation is not an end in itself but a means of raising the efficiency of public sector companies." He also indicated that a wide-ranging dialogue between the NDP and leaders of civil society organisations is likely ahead of the programme being implemented, and expressed his willingness "to meet with leaders of workers in Cairo and other governorates to address their concerns about the scheme".
In a bid to contain criticism Gamal Mubarak revealed that draft legislation will veto the sale of government stakes in strategic companies, including pharmaceuticals, iron and steel and textiles, and in public assets such as the Suez Canal. He also refuted allegations that the new programme ultimately aimed to cut subsidies and eliminate free public services.
President Mubarak emphasised that moving ahead with the liberal economic reform programme will not come at the expense of social justice and revealed that amendments are in the pipeline to laws governing personal status healthcare, including mental health, insurance and pensions. A new law covering organ transplants will also be presented to parliament.
Mubarak expressed pleasure that parliament has begun discussing a new bill designed to create civil, non-profit universities. "These aim to provide high-quality education to graduates of secondary schools who do not have a place in state universities," he said. The bill was approved by the Shura Council on Monday and is expected to be presented to the People's Assembly next week.
Mubarak concluded with hopes that the new parliamentary round will also witness the passing of another package of laws protecting antiquities and the environment, establishing a new agency for food safety, stamping out illiteracy, ensuring the safety of vessels and the rights of the handicapped.
"A lot of bills will be on the agenda and I hope your debates will be constructive and in the interests of the people," he said.
By Gamal Essam El-Din, Al Ahram Weekly
He told parliamentarians that a new list of draft reform laws were ready to be discussed in the new session, including legislative amendments aimed at increasing the number of women serving in parliament. Only nine seats in the 454-seat People's Assembly are currently held by women, four of them elected and five appointed by the president. The 264-seat Shura Council has 21 women members, 20 presidential appointees and a single elected member.
Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab told Al-Ahram Weekly that three amendments will be introduced to help increase the number of women parliamentarians.
"We will have to amend the 1956 law on the exercise of political rights, the 1972 law regulating the People's Assembly and the 1980 law governing the Shura Council."
"A ministerial legislative group," Shehab continued, "is currently discussing the necessary amendments, probing the possibility of creating up to 56 new electoral districts."
President Mubarak's announcement that the number of female lawmakers is to be increased provoked mixed reactions.
Leading Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama pointed out that increasing women's representation hardly tops the political reform agenda. "Other priorities," he said, "include amending the parties law in order to enhance competition in political life and revoking the emergency law to curtail the intimidation of independent and opposition political activists."
Under the current electoral laws, says Salama, there is little doubt that most, if not all, new female lawmakers will belong to the NDP.
Shehab also informed the Weekly that amendments to the electoral law are being appraised. "There are a lot of opinions, some in favour and some against changing the current individual candidacy system," said Shehab, adding that "the NDP prefers that this critical issue become a matter of dialogue with all political forces ahead of parliamentary elections in 2010."
President Mubarak went on to tell both houses of parliament to expect changes to the 1993 law regulating elections to professional syndicates. "The amendment," says Shehab, "will provide greater facilities for voting and guarantee that the boards of syndicates are elected in a democratic way."
The current law, drafted by the NDP in 1993, was conceived to prevent the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood from infiltrating civil society organisations, especially professional syndicates. Brotherhood members, however, have been able to control the boards of the Lawyers' and Doctors' Syndicates while the Engineers' Syndicate, bogged down in legal disputes, has long been placed under judicial sequestration.
President Mubarak revealed that he has given instructions that parliament should draft new regulations covering nuclear activities "as part of the strategic decision taken last year to launch an ambitious nuclear programme". Mubarak devoted a large part of his speech to reviewing the impact of the global financial crisis on Egypt. "The first quarter of the current fiscal year registered a growth rate of 5.8 per cent, compared to a high 6.5 per cent during the first quarter of last year," Mubarak said. He urged the government to act to ensure that the burdens of the crisis do not fall on the shoulders of the poor.
"I have asked the government to increase investment spending and to increase the budget deficit slightly, a shortfall that we will recover from in the coming year without placing additional burdens on citizens."
As part of a new financial package regulating the stock market, insurance and real estate markets is to be tightened. "The measures will unify regulators in a single authority in order to better confront crises and attract local and international investments," Mubarak said.
He vowed that the global credit crunch would not deflect the government from pursuing economic reform, saying "the need to provide the private sector with greater incentives in the two areas of investment and exports is more pressing than ever". He did not, however, make any reference to the controversial scheme to distribute shares in government-owned companies to the public free of charged. The programme was officially announced by Gamal Mubarak, the chairman of the NDP's powerful Policies Committee, and Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin, on 10 November.
Gamal Mubarak, in a meeting with leading NDP members of the board of the General Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (GFETU) on Monday, argued that "privatisation is not an end in itself but a means of raising the efficiency of public sector companies." He also indicated that a wide-ranging dialogue between the NDP and leaders of civil society organisations is likely ahead of the programme being implemented, and expressed his willingness "to meet with leaders of workers in Cairo and other governorates to address their concerns about the scheme".
In a bid to contain criticism Gamal Mubarak revealed that draft legislation will veto the sale of government stakes in strategic companies, including pharmaceuticals, iron and steel and textiles, and in public assets such as the Suez Canal. He also refuted allegations that the new programme ultimately aimed to cut subsidies and eliminate free public services.
President Mubarak emphasised that moving ahead with the liberal economic reform programme will not come at the expense of social justice and revealed that amendments are in the pipeline to laws governing personal status healthcare, including mental health, insurance and pensions. A new law covering organ transplants will also be presented to parliament.
Mubarak expressed pleasure that parliament has begun discussing a new bill designed to create civil, non-profit universities. "These aim to provide high-quality education to graduates of secondary schools who do not have a place in state universities," he said. The bill was approved by the Shura Council on Monday and is expected to be presented to the People's Assembly next week.
Mubarak concluded with hopes that the new parliamentary round will also witness the passing of another package of laws protecting antiquities and the environment, establishing a new agency for food safety, stamping out illiteracy, ensuring the safety of vessels and the rights of the handicapped.
"A lot of bills will be on the agenda and I hope your debates will be constructive and in the interests of the people," he said.
By Gamal Essam El-Din, Al Ahram Weekly
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Yemen: Women respond to the Vice and Virtue Committee-Part I
On July 15th Yemeni religious and tribal leaders held a conference in which they announced to an audience of some 2000 male attendees their intention to create an authority to protect virtue and fight against vice, which they called the Vice and Virtue Committee (VVC).
This authority aims at monitoring the activities of individuals and institutions in order to report them to the police if they consider that they transgress Islamic precepts. One of the first official actions taken by this committee was to issue a fatwa or legal pronouncement against women’s political participation, namely, against the quota system that the government wants to implement in response to women’s pressure to acquire representation in the political institutions.
The quota, which is part of the amendments that the government proposed to the electoral law, would allocate 15 percent of the seats at the Parliament that would be reserved to women candidates. Several women’s organizations, members of political parties, researchers and journalists have widely responded to the establishment of the Vice and Virtue authority and to the fatwa issued against women’s political participation, especially since the next parliamentary elections will be held in April 2009 and the electoral campaign has definitely started. We wish to publish a series of interviews held with some of these women who are analysing the meanings of the VVC and responding to their actions.
In this issue we interviewed Hooria Mashoor, Deputy Chairperson of the Women National Committee (WNC), the technical committee of the government’s Supreme Council for Women Affairs. Mashoor, who comes from Aden, works at the WNC since the year 2000. She has studied in Germany and Egypt and worked as a teacher and as a trainer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Yemen Observer (YO) -When did you first hear about the Vice and Virtue Committee?
Hooria Mashoor (HM) - Three months before they held the meeting that established the authority in July, I started hearing about groups of people ‘working for the prevention of vice.’ I first knew about them through a colleague from the WNC who went to Hodeidhah for work.
When she arrived to the hotel she was asked by a group of men for her mahram or male companion and was told that she was not supposed to be alone at the hotel. She called us saying that she did not know what to do and that a group claiming to be official was asking her for a mahram if she wanted to stay at the hotel. They did not announce themselves as members of the VVC, because this authority was not yet presented as such, but they were working for the prevention of vice and the spread of virtue.
I also heard that some two or three months ago religious leaders, members of what now is known as the ‘virtue committee,’ went to the presidential office to meet the president. He gave them the green light to do ‘what is good for society.’
I do not know how they presented their project to the president, what they explained and what they omitted, but however they did it, they obtained the green light to carry out their activities and to establish their committee.
This is shocking because we believe that there is a state with state’s bodies that must control this, but this organization is not part of the state. Also, I do not know if the president was well aware about their ideas related to the quota, because it goes against the work of the government.
YO - Why do you think this authority emerges now?
HM - I consider that this is a political action, a political strategy as we approach the parliamentary elections which are just around the corner (April 2009). This political action is aimed at diving Islah, the main and biggest opposition party (Hizb al Islah, commonly referred as the biggest Islamist party in Yemen, is one the parties that conform the main opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) together with the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Nasserite Unionists Political Party (NUPP), Federation of Popular Yemeni Forces (PF), the Al Haq party and the Arab Baath Socialist Party). The Virtue Committee has a political agenda, for they are presenting their authority and acting against women’s political participation just before the upcoming parliamentary elections. In July 15th they presented a political agenda: the quota is not against virtue, is a political issue.
They are also against women working and they want to send them back home, which would stop the development of the society. We are a poor country and one of the causes is that women do not fully participate in the economy of the country. In addition to this, when we are just getting to the point of implementing the quota, all of the sudden this committee issues a fatwa against it, but they will not stop us because the quota is a policy from the government, is part of the government’s program. I also consider that the VVC is a political and not a religious committee because they asked the president to continue using military means to stop the war in Sa’adah, to stop the al-Huthi rebels (The Sa’adah conflict entered this year its fifth year of a war in which the Shi’a al-Huthi rebels (followers of the Zaydi doctrine) fight to reinstate the Imamate that was overthrown in 1962.
In july 2008 president Ali Abdullah Saleh announced the “end of the war”). Approximately three days later the president declares that the war is over. What is interesting is that, before unification (1990), these same political figures were against unification and now they ask the president to maintain the country united.
YO -Is the Virtue Committee a legitimate authority to issue a fatwa?
HM -One member of the parliament e-mailed me questioning under which umbrella this committee is working. Even in the General People’s Congress’s (GPC) members of the party question this authority (The GPC is the ruling party since the unification of the country in 1990. Ali Abdullah Saleh, president and head of the party, is in power since 1978, when he became president of the Yemen Arab Republic in the north).
We also question them and we will send a letter to the official ‘ulama (group of religious leaders and scholars) responsible to issue a formal fatwa (See article “Yemeni female political activists fight back,” The Yemen Observer, 12 August, 2008). We want a fatwa from them, the official authority, if they can prove that the quota is against Islam.
Some ‘ulama are part of the VVC, but the official ‘ulama are the only ones that can actually issue such thing. Some of the ‘ulama also support the idea of increasing women’s participation in politics with the quota system, so their vision on this issue varies. Above all, what is risky is that they are using our religion, which is a fundamental factor in our society, to convince people about things that are not present in Islam or in the Qur’an, and that our work or the work of human rights activists goes against Islam, but human right activist here are Muslims as well.
YO –What do you now about how is the VVC being financed?
HM -We were amazed because thousands of religious men came from all over the country and also from Saudi Arabia to a conference that cost YR 200 million. Al-Eman University, al-Zindani (Sheikh al-Zindani leads the “conservative” stream inside the Islah Party, is the Chairman of the Islah Party’s Shura Council, rector of the Islamic Iman University in Sana’a, and was elected as president of the Vice and Virtue Committee in August 2008) and numerous tribal and rich men contributed economically to the conference. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is helping them and members from the Saudi Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice also attended the event. We think that a great part of their economic funds come from this source.
YO -What is and has been the work of the Women National Committee towards the quota system?
HM -We worked on the amendment of the electoral law and the political participation law, that is, in the amendment of the constitution and the pertinent laws in order for them to include a quota for women of 15 percent. We asked for the minimum in the short term, but for the long term we want a quota of 30 percent. If the parliament passes the quota and amends the laws considering our demands, then the entire problem with the Virtue Committee will be over. It would be embarrassing for the GPC to go backwards, and it would be very difficult for them to go back. That is why our main focus now is to pass the law. The WNC is a policy maker institution, we also work with grassroots organizations like NGOs but our focus is to pass the quota as a law.
YO -How are other women reacting to the quota and the VVC?
HM -Some time ago some women and I met at Amal Basha’s office (head of the Non-governmental organisation Sisters Arab Forum) to discuss the issue of the quota and how to apply it. We all agreed on the fact that we need to change the system of election (the lists) but also we realised that perhaps we cannot change this completely, so at least we need the quota. Women members of Islah were present and they also said that the JMP wants to change the system of election, but that needs to go first and then the quota. I asked them ‘are you not going to confront your party on this issue?’ and one of them responded that this is an internal and a different issue, which needed a different type of solution. I respected that because we all have different ways of working. In any case, if we make the quota become a law, then no one will be able to change it. And I can assure you of one thing: no one will stop us in this.
Written By: Anahi Alviso-Marino
This authority aims at monitoring the activities of individuals and institutions in order to report them to the police if they consider that they transgress Islamic precepts. One of the first official actions taken by this committee was to issue a fatwa or legal pronouncement against women’s political participation, namely, against the quota system that the government wants to implement in response to women’s pressure to acquire representation in the political institutions.
The quota, which is part of the amendments that the government proposed to the electoral law, would allocate 15 percent of the seats at the Parliament that would be reserved to women candidates. Several women’s organizations, members of political parties, researchers and journalists have widely responded to the establishment of the Vice and Virtue authority and to the fatwa issued against women’s political participation, especially since the next parliamentary elections will be held in April 2009 and the electoral campaign has definitely started. We wish to publish a series of interviews held with some of these women who are analysing the meanings of the VVC and responding to their actions.
In this issue we interviewed Hooria Mashoor, Deputy Chairperson of the Women National Committee (WNC), the technical committee of the government’s Supreme Council for Women Affairs. Mashoor, who comes from Aden, works at the WNC since the year 2000. She has studied in Germany and Egypt and worked as a teacher and as a trainer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Yemen Observer (YO) -When did you first hear about the Vice and Virtue Committee?
Hooria Mashoor (HM) - Three months before they held the meeting that established the authority in July, I started hearing about groups of people ‘working for the prevention of vice.’ I first knew about them through a colleague from the WNC who went to Hodeidhah for work.
When she arrived to the hotel she was asked by a group of men for her mahram or male companion and was told that she was not supposed to be alone at the hotel. She called us saying that she did not know what to do and that a group claiming to be official was asking her for a mahram if she wanted to stay at the hotel. They did not announce themselves as members of the VVC, because this authority was not yet presented as such, but they were working for the prevention of vice and the spread of virtue.
I also heard that some two or three months ago religious leaders, members of what now is known as the ‘virtue committee,’ went to the presidential office to meet the president. He gave them the green light to do ‘what is good for society.’
I do not know how they presented their project to the president, what they explained and what they omitted, but however they did it, they obtained the green light to carry out their activities and to establish their committee.
This is shocking because we believe that there is a state with state’s bodies that must control this, but this organization is not part of the state. Also, I do not know if the president was well aware about their ideas related to the quota, because it goes against the work of the government.
YO - Why do you think this authority emerges now?
HM - I consider that this is a political action, a political strategy as we approach the parliamentary elections which are just around the corner (April 2009). This political action is aimed at diving Islah, the main and biggest opposition party (Hizb al Islah, commonly referred as the biggest Islamist party in Yemen, is one the parties that conform the main opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) together with the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Nasserite Unionists Political Party (NUPP), Federation of Popular Yemeni Forces (PF), the Al Haq party and the Arab Baath Socialist Party). The Virtue Committee has a political agenda, for they are presenting their authority and acting against women’s political participation just before the upcoming parliamentary elections. In July 15th they presented a political agenda: the quota is not against virtue, is a political issue.
They are also against women working and they want to send them back home, which would stop the development of the society. We are a poor country and one of the causes is that women do not fully participate in the economy of the country. In addition to this, when we are just getting to the point of implementing the quota, all of the sudden this committee issues a fatwa against it, but they will not stop us because the quota is a policy from the government, is part of the government’s program. I also consider that the VVC is a political and not a religious committee because they asked the president to continue using military means to stop the war in Sa’adah, to stop the al-Huthi rebels (The Sa’adah conflict entered this year its fifth year of a war in which the Shi’a al-Huthi rebels (followers of the Zaydi doctrine) fight to reinstate the Imamate that was overthrown in 1962.
In july 2008 president Ali Abdullah Saleh announced the “end of the war”). Approximately three days later the president declares that the war is over. What is interesting is that, before unification (1990), these same political figures were against unification and now they ask the president to maintain the country united.
YO -Is the Virtue Committee a legitimate authority to issue a fatwa?
HM -One member of the parliament e-mailed me questioning under which umbrella this committee is working. Even in the General People’s Congress’s (GPC) members of the party question this authority (The GPC is the ruling party since the unification of the country in 1990. Ali Abdullah Saleh, president and head of the party, is in power since 1978, when he became president of the Yemen Arab Republic in the north).
We also question them and we will send a letter to the official ‘ulama (group of religious leaders and scholars) responsible to issue a formal fatwa (See article “Yemeni female political activists fight back,” The Yemen Observer, 12 August, 2008). We want a fatwa from them, the official authority, if they can prove that the quota is against Islam.
Some ‘ulama are part of the VVC, but the official ‘ulama are the only ones that can actually issue such thing. Some of the ‘ulama also support the idea of increasing women’s participation in politics with the quota system, so their vision on this issue varies. Above all, what is risky is that they are using our religion, which is a fundamental factor in our society, to convince people about things that are not present in Islam or in the Qur’an, and that our work or the work of human rights activists goes against Islam, but human right activist here are Muslims as well.
YO –What do you now about how is the VVC being financed?
HM -We were amazed because thousands of religious men came from all over the country and also from Saudi Arabia to a conference that cost YR 200 million. Al-Eman University, al-Zindani (Sheikh al-Zindani leads the “conservative” stream inside the Islah Party, is the Chairman of the Islah Party’s Shura Council, rector of the Islamic Iman University in Sana’a, and was elected as president of the Vice and Virtue Committee in August 2008) and numerous tribal and rich men contributed economically to the conference. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is helping them and members from the Saudi Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice also attended the event. We think that a great part of their economic funds come from this source.
YO -What is and has been the work of the Women National Committee towards the quota system?
HM -We worked on the amendment of the electoral law and the political participation law, that is, in the amendment of the constitution and the pertinent laws in order for them to include a quota for women of 15 percent. We asked for the minimum in the short term, but for the long term we want a quota of 30 percent. If the parliament passes the quota and amends the laws considering our demands, then the entire problem with the Virtue Committee will be over. It would be embarrassing for the GPC to go backwards, and it would be very difficult for them to go back. That is why our main focus now is to pass the law. The WNC is a policy maker institution, we also work with grassroots organizations like NGOs but our focus is to pass the quota as a law.
YO -How are other women reacting to the quota and the VVC?
HM -Some time ago some women and I met at Amal Basha’s office (head of the Non-governmental organisation Sisters Arab Forum) to discuss the issue of the quota and how to apply it. We all agreed on the fact that we need to change the system of election (the lists) but also we realised that perhaps we cannot change this completely, so at least we need the quota. Women members of Islah were present and they also said that the JMP wants to change the system of election, but that needs to go first and then the quota. I asked them ‘are you not going to confront your party on this issue?’ and one of them responded that this is an internal and a different issue, which needed a different type of solution. I respected that because we all have different ways of working. In any case, if we make the quota become a law, then no one will be able to change it. And I can assure you of one thing: no one will stop us in this.
Written By: Anahi Alviso-Marino
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Bahrain: Women 'face media bias'
MEDIA bias may be blamed for the lack of women holding elected positions in Bahrain, a visiting US politician said yesterday. Vice-chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Orange County, California, Rima Nashashibi, said discrimination in news coverage between male and female candidates has been the consistent message delivered during her trip.
The Palestinian-born politician is here as part of a 10-day educational visit to Bahrain and Qatar to promote awareness of increased political participation and the positive role of Arab women in America.
Ms Nashashibi met officials from the Supreme Council for Women, Shura Council, Royal University for Women, Cultural Dialogue Centre and Bahrain Youth Forum Society and will visit Bahrain University before returning home today.
"We need to see more media support for women candidates and make sure the media gives equal coverage to all candidates, no matter what their gender, background or religion is," she told a Press conference at the Sheraton Hotel.
"I believe the media can do more to educate people about the issue and support candidates.
"When someone goes to vote, they do so from an educated position and they are not doing so in a vacuum."
Ms Nashashibi believes introducing a quota for women candidates in elections could be one way of achieving equality, at least in the short-term.
"They are good because they give women the opportunity to show they can handle the position and they are just as qualified as men," she said.
"Once you have people on an equal footing, you can take the quotas out."
Ms Nashashibi also has no problem with positive discrimination being used to appoint females to cabinet positions.
"How can you trust women to bring up future generations but not to hold certain positions," she asked.
"But if you appoint someone that is not qualified, they are destined to fail and you are doing a disservice to them and the community."
Ms Nashashibi revealed that the number of American women holding political positions compares to the global average of 17 per cent.
The co-founder of the Arab American Caucus and American Businesswomen's Association admitted her surprise at the low rate.
But she said one lesson women candidates in Bahrain can learn from their US counterparts was the importance of running a good structured campaign.
"This includes having a campaign manager, media consultant, fun-draising advisor and a volunteer co-ordinator to lead a team of volunteers," she added.
By GEOFFREY BEW, Gulf Daily News
The Palestinian-born politician is here as part of a 10-day educational visit to Bahrain and Qatar to promote awareness of increased political participation and the positive role of Arab women in America.
Ms Nashashibi met officials from the Supreme Council for Women, Shura Council, Royal University for Women, Cultural Dialogue Centre and Bahrain Youth Forum Society and will visit Bahrain University before returning home today.
"We need to see more media support for women candidates and make sure the media gives equal coverage to all candidates, no matter what their gender, background or religion is," she told a Press conference at the Sheraton Hotel.
"I believe the media can do more to educate people about the issue and support candidates.
"When someone goes to vote, they do so from an educated position and they are not doing so in a vacuum."
Ms Nashashibi believes introducing a quota for women candidates in elections could be one way of achieving equality, at least in the short-term.
"They are good because they give women the opportunity to show they can handle the position and they are just as qualified as men," she said.
"Once you have people on an equal footing, you can take the quotas out."
Ms Nashashibi also has no problem with positive discrimination being used to appoint females to cabinet positions.
"How can you trust women to bring up future generations but not to hold certain positions," she asked.
"But if you appoint someone that is not qualified, they are destined to fail and you are doing a disservice to them and the community."
Ms Nashashibi revealed that the number of American women holding political positions compares to the global average of 17 per cent.
The co-founder of the Arab American Caucus and American Businesswomen's Association admitted her surprise at the low rate.
But she said one lesson women candidates in Bahrain can learn from their US counterparts was the importance of running a good structured campaign.
"This includes having a campaign manager, media consultant, fun-draising advisor and a volunteer co-ordinator to lead a team of volunteers," she added.
By GEOFFREY BEW, Gulf Daily News
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Yemen: Reactionary forces blamed for aborting women quota initiative
Sanaa: A Yemeni official accused 'reactionary forces' in his country of trying to discourage and prevent women from participating in public life.
Yahya Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, President Saleh's nephew, chairman of Al Takadum Forum, said the time has come to turn words into actions for women's political participation.
He called all parties and civil society organisations to do their best for having a new legislation allocating 15 per cent quota for women in decision-making positions.
"There have been attempts from reactionary forces in the society, in the ruling party and in opposition parties to abort the initiative of the president of the republic," Yahya Saleh said Sunday in a symposium organised by his Forum under the slogan (Let's work together to realise the initiative of the president to allocate 15 per cent quota for women).
The civil society activist, who also works officially as the head of country's central security forces, said that the best thing to do now is to work for turning the initiative of President Saleh on giving women 15 per cent quota into a legislation that can be implemented. "It seems that the women will be absent in the elections of governors in May," said Dr Raofa Hassan, member of the forum.
By Nasser Arrabyee, Gulf News
Yahya Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, President Saleh's nephew, chairman of Al Takadum Forum, said the time has come to turn words into actions for women's political participation.
He called all parties and civil society organisations to do their best for having a new legislation allocating 15 per cent quota for women in decision-making positions.
"There have been attempts from reactionary forces in the society, in the ruling party and in opposition parties to abort the initiative of the president of the republic," Yahya Saleh said Sunday in a symposium organised by his Forum under the slogan (Let's work together to realise the initiative of the president to allocate 15 per cent quota for women).
The civil society activist, who also works officially as the head of country's central security forces, said that the best thing to do now is to work for turning the initiative of President Saleh on giving women 15 per cent quota into a legislation that can be implemented. "It seems that the women will be absent in the elections of governors in May," said Dr Raofa Hassan, member of the forum.
By Nasser Arrabyee, Gulf News
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Yemen: Quota system as the way to increase women’s political participation
SANA’A, March 16 — A legal solution is the only option left for Yemeni women to participate effectively in the elections as candidates through the 15 percent quota recommended by the president Saleh in 2006.
Floor Beuming, Program advisor of the NDI, concluded this at the second day of a seminar on elections reform in Yemen. “Most problems faced by women candidates in the past are not cultural but are political challenges,” she said. Women lacked the institutional protection they needed because political parties failed in increasing the representation of women as candidates from their political parties. Therefore, women were forced to run as independent candidates facing double burden of being a female as well as an independent candidate.
The quota system means either adding 45 seats to the 301 existing members of the Parliament or reserving 45 of the 301 seats creating 15 percent for women.
Bojien suggested a combination of two quotas is the best solution to women’s political participation in the Shoura (Consultative) Council and the Parliament. In the Shoura council 15 percent means increasing women’s presence from 2 to 17. But it will continue to be an advisory body whose members are nominated by the president. There is a risk that this will be largely symbolic.
However, the parliamentary quota would give women the opportunity to compete in elections, they would be able to win seats by electoral power and have more responsibility than those women in the Shoura Council. Also the nomination would give women more exposure to the public and increase their experience in a competitive environment.
Most of all, women’s quota in the Parliament does not require any constitutional changes, only a few in the electoral laws and with a committed political will this can easily be achieved.
According to legal experts and former candidates committee’s research in 2003, female candidates complained that they were treated dismissibly by the very people who were responsible for the operating of the elections.
Also the requirement to gather the 300 signatures of most of the electoral constituency in support of their candidacy as independent candidates was a big problem, which party candidates did not have to deal with.
“The question is: are women ready and qualified to participate in elections as candidates, and are the political parties ready to nominate them as representatives? Without sufficient training and qualification of female candidates women will not be able to compete adequately especially when they are let down by the political parties,” said Ilham Abdulwahab, general director of the general department for women’s affairs at the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum. She added that the legislations are made by men this is why they don’t adhere to women’s needs or demands.
The seminar was organized by the NDI in partnership with USAID and International Foundation for Election Systems. The seminar included discussions on the electoral system in Yemen and the bodies managing it. On voters list and registration, candidate nominations, campaign expenditure, counting and reporting, and the complaints systems.
By Yemen Times Staff
Floor Beuming, Program advisor of the NDI, concluded this at the second day of a seminar on elections reform in Yemen. “Most problems faced by women candidates in the past are not cultural but are political challenges,” she said. Women lacked the institutional protection they needed because political parties failed in increasing the representation of women as candidates from their political parties. Therefore, women were forced to run as independent candidates facing double burden of being a female as well as an independent candidate.
The quota system means either adding 45 seats to the 301 existing members of the Parliament or reserving 45 of the 301 seats creating 15 percent for women.
Bojien suggested a combination of two quotas is the best solution to women’s political participation in the Shoura (Consultative) Council and the Parliament. In the Shoura council 15 percent means increasing women’s presence from 2 to 17. But it will continue to be an advisory body whose members are nominated by the president. There is a risk that this will be largely symbolic.
However, the parliamentary quota would give women the opportunity to compete in elections, they would be able to win seats by electoral power and have more responsibility than those women in the Shoura Council. Also the nomination would give women more exposure to the public and increase their experience in a competitive environment.
Most of all, women’s quota in the Parliament does not require any constitutional changes, only a few in the electoral laws and with a committed political will this can easily be achieved.
According to legal experts and former candidates committee’s research in 2003, female candidates complained that they were treated dismissibly by the very people who were responsible for the operating of the elections.
Also the requirement to gather the 300 signatures of most of the electoral constituency in support of their candidacy as independent candidates was a big problem, which party candidates did not have to deal with.
“The question is: are women ready and qualified to participate in elections as candidates, and are the political parties ready to nominate them as representatives? Without sufficient training and qualification of female candidates women will not be able to compete adequately especially when they are let down by the political parties,” said Ilham Abdulwahab, general director of the general department for women’s affairs at the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum. She added that the legislations are made by men this is why they don’t adhere to women’s needs or demands.
The seminar was organized by the NDI in partnership with USAID and International Foundation for Election Systems. The seminar included discussions on the electoral system in Yemen and the bodies managing it. On voters list and registration, candidate nominations, campaign expenditure, counting and reporting, and the complaints systems.
By Yemen Times Staff
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Egypt: Making room for women to participate in upcoming municipal elections
Amid preparations for next April's local council elections, Farkhonda Hassan, secretary-general of the National Council for Women (NCW) suggests that Article 62 of the constitution be amended since it limits the participation of women to only two per cent of seats. Hassan wants to see this figure increase to at least 30 per cent, as is the case in India, where local councils are considered the basic training for women to acquire political experience. She also believes that this would prepare the legislature to change the electoral system in the future to respond to developments in society.
The required increase, according to Hassan, will only be accomplished by returning to the quota system giving women a minimum number of seats in all legislative councils. She suggested that this would be a temporary measure for 25 years or so, in order to enable women to gain experience, credibility and compete on equal basis. "The council has finished amendments to Article 62 of the constitution, but postponed submitting it for approval to the People's Assembly until redrafting the localities law," revealed Hassan.
Women in Egypt have struggled to acquire equal political rights in order to participate in formulating national policies, lawmaking, professional syndicates, NGOs, or merely to cast a ballot. Participation at the grassroots and policy-making levels would enable them to influence the development process, and ensure that their problems are addressed, given priority and resolved.
Figures in a study conducted by the NCW show that the participation of women in legislative councils, whether as voters or candidates, is not commensurate with their numerical weight in society where they constitute slightly less than 50 per cent of the population. This could be attributed to the political environment which does not encourage the political participation of either men or women -- reflected in the so-called "silent majority" -- as well as the institutional weakness of political parties and civil society organisations.
Moreover, Egyptian women have only been involved in parliamentary life since 1957 and hence have not accumulated sufficient resources or experience to compete with men on an equal basis. Lawyer and feminist Mona Zulficar noted that this is why laws were amended to guarantee minimum female representation in the People's Assembly. This was done through Law 38/1972, as amended by Law 21/1979 and Law 114/1983, regarding the People's Assembly allocating one seat for women in each constituency, totaling 31 seats or less than seven per cent of MPs.
But in an unrelated case before the Supreme Constitutional Court in 1986, a footnote stated that allocating a maximum number of seats for women was unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated the principle of equality enshrined in the constitution. "The People's Assembly immediately amended the law and cancelled this provision," revealed Zulficar.
Women have traditionally played an important role in local councils because of their interest and involvement in the day- to-day problems of their local communities. Moreover, local councils are an important step in building constituencies to run in parliamentary elections. In 1979, under the quota system, female membership in local councils exceeded 10 per cent; but when the system was cancelled in 1986, this figure dropped to about 1.2 per cent in 1992 and 1997, and fell further in 2002 to about only one per cent, stated Zulficar.
The sitting 857 female members of local council require more support on the governmental and non- governmental levels, according to Hassan. Female candidates require political parties to nominate at least 30 to 50 per cent women in legislative elections, she said, as is the case in France where the minimum number of female candidates must be 50 per cent.
This proposal would enhance the political participation process, Hassan suggested, and end accusations of inequality since it leaves the final word to the electorate but obliges parties to promote political participation and leadership among all segments of society. Hassan added that the NCW has created a centre to contribute to building female cadres capable of taking part in different elections, as well as spread and activate the culture of participation among women.
-- by Reem Leila, Al Ahram News
The required increase, according to Hassan, will only be accomplished by returning to the quota system giving women a minimum number of seats in all legislative councils. She suggested that this would be a temporary measure for 25 years or so, in order to enable women to gain experience, credibility and compete on equal basis. "The council has finished amendments to Article 62 of the constitution, but postponed submitting it for approval to the People's Assembly until redrafting the localities law," revealed Hassan.
Women in Egypt have struggled to acquire equal political rights in order to participate in formulating national policies, lawmaking, professional syndicates, NGOs, or merely to cast a ballot. Participation at the grassroots and policy-making levels would enable them to influence the development process, and ensure that their problems are addressed, given priority and resolved.
Figures in a study conducted by the NCW show that the participation of women in legislative councils, whether as voters or candidates, is not commensurate with their numerical weight in society where they constitute slightly less than 50 per cent of the population. This could be attributed to the political environment which does not encourage the political participation of either men or women -- reflected in the so-called "silent majority" -- as well as the institutional weakness of political parties and civil society organisations.
Moreover, Egyptian women have only been involved in parliamentary life since 1957 and hence have not accumulated sufficient resources or experience to compete with men on an equal basis. Lawyer and feminist Mona Zulficar noted that this is why laws were amended to guarantee minimum female representation in the People's Assembly. This was done through Law 38/1972, as amended by Law 21/1979 and Law 114/1983, regarding the People's Assembly allocating one seat for women in each constituency, totaling 31 seats or less than seven per cent of MPs.
But in an unrelated case before the Supreme Constitutional Court in 1986, a footnote stated that allocating a maximum number of seats for women was unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated the principle of equality enshrined in the constitution. "The People's Assembly immediately amended the law and cancelled this provision," revealed Zulficar.
Women have traditionally played an important role in local councils because of their interest and involvement in the day- to-day problems of their local communities. Moreover, local councils are an important step in building constituencies to run in parliamentary elections. In 1979, under the quota system, female membership in local councils exceeded 10 per cent; but when the system was cancelled in 1986, this figure dropped to about 1.2 per cent in 1992 and 1997, and fell further in 2002 to about only one per cent, stated Zulficar.
The sitting 857 female members of local council require more support on the governmental and non- governmental levels, according to Hassan. Female candidates require political parties to nominate at least 30 to 50 per cent women in legislative elections, she said, as is the case in France where the minimum number of female candidates must be 50 per cent.
This proposal would enhance the political participation process, Hassan suggested, and end accusations of inequality since it leaves the final word to the electorate but obliges parties to promote political participation and leadership among all segments of society. Hassan added that the NCW has created a centre to contribute to building female cadres capable of taking part in different elections, as well as spread and activate the culture of participation among women.
-- by Reem Leila, Al Ahram News
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