Rédaction Africa Links 24 with New Dawn
Published on 2024-02-21 00:47:00
The Organization for Women and Children (OWCH) in Liberia has been working to ensure the adherence to a 30% Gender Quota in Liberian politics. This quota aims to have more female representation on political parties’ tickets during elections. However, achieving this goal has been a challenge due to the patriarchal traditions that still prevent women from holding positions of authority in the country.
To address this issue, OWCH conducted a first-of-its-kind research that detailed the concerns and experiences of women throughout the nomination process for candidates. The research also offered recommendations to the National Elections Commission (NEC) in order to promote accountability and clarify what it means to “ensure” in the absence of an enforceable legal framework.
Since 2005, civil society organizations and partners have been working to increase women’s representation in political decision-making positions, particularly in the legislature. However, political parties have struggled to meet the 30% gender quota. In the 2005 elections, none of the parties met the quota, but the average percentage of women on candidates’ listings was around 20%. These percentages were higher than in any election thereafter.
The guidelines for political parties to ensure the gender quota were dropped during the 2011 elections, and in 2014, the amendments to the new elections law included the phrase “endeavor to ensure” without defining what constitutes endeavoring to ensure, nor including any accountability mechanism.
From 2005 to 2014, not a single political party met the 30% threshold. This lack of support from political parties resulted in a decrease in the percentage of women in the legislature. The percentage of women in the legislature fell from 16% in 2006 to less than 13% in 2012, and 11% in 2014, and further to under 10% in 2021.
ORWOCH Executive Director, Attorney Mombeydo Joah, emphasized the importance of the NEC collaborating with stakeholders to create an accountability mechanism that will clarify what it means to “ensure” in the absence of an enforceable legal framework. She also recommended that a feminist approach must be adopted to support local women’s rights organizations with core funding to address the challenges women face during candidate nomination.
In addition, Joah recommended that the government formulate a strategy for financing political parties that achieve gender parity. She also emphasized the need for political parties to include in their various plans the mobilization, recruitment, and training of women candidates.
The NEC was urged to establish and create awareness about safety for women candidates who fear reprisals and to monitor gender adherence at least three years before the general election. The recommendations aimed to address the underrepresentation of women in Liberian politics and promote gender equality in the political sphere.
Liberian women have been advocating for gender quota for women since 2005, when a 30% gender quota for women on candidate listings was set through guidelines relating to the registration of political parties and independent candidates. However, achieving this quota has been a challenge, and women continue to be underrepresented in the legislature.
Overall, the recommendations put forward by OWCH aim to address the challenges women face in politics and promote gender equality and representation in Liberian politics. It is essential for the NEC to work with stakeholders to create an accountability mechanism and clarify what it means to “ensure” the gender quota, ultimately promoting the full and equal participation of women in the political sphere.
Read the original article on The Newdawn Liberia
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