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Topic Discussion III
Participation in
Democratic Decision-Making:
The Vital Voices of Women, Civil Society and
Pluralism
Room 2
(9 of 21 pages)
So we cannot leave things at this level. And on the international level we have
the international labor office that undertook a study in order to see what was the reason of the participation.
What was the level of women's participation in all political forum. And they found out that 190 years were needed
for women to attain an honorable percentage. So it's not a mystery. The reasons are very clear because women traditionally
were limited to the private level where as men have long been practicing the public level, so we need to run together.
If we want to run together, it is usually men's field, so men will win of course. So if we organize like a contest
for things that take place at home, I am sure that women will win it over. They will win over all the prizes. So
just I'm telling you this like that. But anyway what we need is institutional measures that are not anti-democratic.
When we speak of cultures I prefer to speak of parity evenness because it is the principal. The basic principal
to recognize that the world is divided between men and women and we need circuits in order to have a representation
of men and women and at the same time, to reach this evenness that culture is an institution measure that is inadmissible
to allow a given percentage of women to have access. I will not do longer than this, I just say something briefly,
it has to do with the action that we are undertaking for women's participation in political life. We created in
my association a center for female leadership where we have a training. I have documents for the people who are
interested. We had training sessions for the women that could become leaders and we found out that usually they
are very active, they can do a lot, however they don't trust their own capacities. They tell you yes I am in charge
of an association of four children, I am a teacher or whatsoever, and then they tell you no, with the elections
I really don't know much about it. And I don't have the capacities, next time maybe and whatsoever.
So we have courses on communication, on negotiations, on bargaining, on knowledge, on political institutions, parliaments,
municipal council and we have a lobbying work concerning the [inaudible], the evenness as well as the other institutional
mechanisms in order to favor women's participation and I think it is at the core issue of democratization. Thank
you.
Marina Ottaway: Before I recognize the next speaker, I'd like to raise an issue since the problem of the
quarter system has been put squarely on the table. The issue that I'd like also to see addressed, is whether is
it possible to use that system just in relation to women or whether that depends the way for the establishment
of quarters for example, for I think minorities, religious minorities, or even if you want also about corporate
groups. In other words, is this the beginning of a very slippery road that may lead in a direction that we may
not like? I doubt we'd like the issue to be raised.
Speaker: (Not available due to technical difficulties)
Marina Ottaway: Can you please identify yourself?
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