OCEANIA: Guide Launched to Boost Pacific Women's Participation

AS the world marks International Women's Day tomorrow, a new guide aimed at providing policy-makers and advocates with ideas on how to promote more women in Pacific legislatures was launched in the Pacific.

The Guide was launched by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme Pacific Centre. Secretary-General of the Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, said in the Guide's Foreword that “in the long-term, it is important that we continue to work with our Pacific communities to build greater recognition of the role that women can and should play as national leaders, including as members of our Pacific legislatures”.

“At the same time, countries are encouraged to consider whether immediate affirmative action strategies could be implemented to ensure that more women will be elected into our national legislatures in the short-term,” he added.

Today, there is an average of only 4.2 per cent women members and 95.8 per cent male
members in Pacific Islands countries' and territories' legislatures (not including Australia and New Zealand).

In four countries in the region, there are currently no women members in the national legislature, and one country has never had a woman member of parliament.

Co-author of the publication, Charmaine Rodrigues, Legislative Strengthening Expert at the UNDP Pacific Centre said “Utilising Temporary Special Measures to Promote Gender Balance in Pacific Legislatures: A Guide to Options”, is designed as a reference for governments, members of Pacific legislatures, political parties, women candidates and civil society advocates who want to understand the possible options for temporary special measures that could be introduced in the Pacific.

“The new publication draws on a range of international resources, but focuses specifically on options for Pacific Islands Forum member countries, taking into account the unique local context of each of the 14 countries examined,” she added.

When introducing the publication, Garry Wiseman, UNDP Pacific Centre Manager, said that affirmative action in favour of women recognised that women currently faced barriers that unfairly inhibit their ability to effectively engage in the national political sphere and which would take time to overcome.

“Temporary special measures can be used as a short-term, quick impact measure to “kickstart” an increase in women's representation, while longer-term efforts are being made to create a more sustainable, level playing field for women in politics,” he added.

Many activists have called on Pacific governments to consider implementing some form of such temporary special measures – such as parliamentary seats reserved for women or
political party quotas – to promote more women into Pacific legislatures.