ANGOLA: Gender Policy Experience Praised By CPLP Women MPs

Angola's experience of gender participation in politics and decision making organs was praised at the meeting of the Network of Women MPs of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) held on June 14 and 15 in Sao Tome and Principe.

Speaking to Angop, the leader of the group of angolan women MPs, Cesaltina Major, stated that other participants to the meeting rejoiced as she said that 38,6 per cent of angolan MPs are female, a figure exceeded only by Mozambique with 39 per cent, adding that this was an encouragement to women from other CPLP countries to continue the gender fight.

Cesaltina Major stressed that Angola achieved this goal throughthe work of president Jose Eduardo dos Santos and other political leaders.

The angolan women MPs delegation presented at the meeting the Theme "Promoting advocacy and lobbying advocacy among member states allow a greater awareness of and engagement in increasing the representation and active participation of women in politics and decision-making".

Cesaltina Major urged her fellow MPs to proceed the struggle for the improvement of gender policies within the CPLP member states (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe), through the increase of the quotas set by national legislation in the elections lists and other measures that may contribute to rise female participation and representation in decision-making.

The meeting also discussed other subjects such as woman discrimination in the labour world, the role of women MPs to end gender and child violence, maternal and child mortality and promotion of reproductive health, climate change and the role of women MPs in the promotion of policies to combat HIV-AIDS.

The angolan delegation included MPs Isabel Peliganga, Domingas Damião, Clarisse Caputo and Constantino Santos.