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Topic Discussion III
Participation in
Democratic Decision-Making:
The Vital Voices of Women, Civil Society and
Pluralism
Room 3
(3 of 16 pages)
Civic participation can be manifested in various ways. First of all, the citizen
taken as an individual who respects the constitution and the other laws of his country, who carries out his duties
and respects the public and private good and participates through vote in the nomination of governments. This is
the citizen taken as an individual. Secondly, the citizens which are grouped and which organize themselves into
political parties to overcome and to exercise power and, in case of failure in elections, will constitute the opposition,
which is an indispensable element for democracy. Thirdly, the citizens which are grouped within non-governmental
organizations, have as their objective the protection and the promotion of common interests, either for all the
national collectivities or a specific group, and exercise the necessary pressures every time the political actors
compromise or try to compromise the common interests or the rights of minorities or the weakest or when politicians
produce practices of both abstentions to the collectivity. The object of this statement is to show that decision-making
and democratic decision-making is when the results of the combination of governments who are responsible and efficient
and the participation of citizens and effective pluralism.
Unfortunately, the tendency which is observed in the countries of democratic transition is the marginalization
of citizens compared with the public management. Now, are they to be excluded or are they self-excluded? In any
case, this marginalization is harmful and does not favor the adhesion of citizens to decisions. As this mal-generation
is very acute with women, we will consider it with that specific group and then find out what this role of civic
society and pluralism and how can they play and how can they overcome the obstacles which are at the origin of
this marginalization. So in the first part I shall talk to you about the necessary involvement of women in the
political management and in decision-making in particular. Due to their big number, the marginalization of women
is an important obstacle for the implementation of public decisions, particularly when these decisions are difficult.
Moreover, apart from their great number, women are very integrated in their own communities. They are mothers,
wives, sisters, tradesmen, educators, keepers of tradition, mediators, producers and suppliers of subsidies, giving
numerous services, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible workers, so we cannot exclude such an important group
in its number and its role and pretend that we are aspiring to democracy. The republican democracy is that which
guarantees to all citizens all the rights, and we can obtain the involvement of women by making use of all the
assets which this civic society and pluralism can give.
Civil society and democratic decision-making. The democracy transition must support civil society and give them
the necessary resources and by giving them an advisory status to allow them to express their own opinions.They
must set up bi-partheid committees, NGO and government, for specific issues. For example, in Mali we have the only
committee which is truly operating in Mali, which is the National Committee for the Struggle against Harmful Practices
against Health. So this committee is composed of representatives from the Ministry of Women and Ministry of Health
and women NGOs,so this committee was able to tackle concretely the problem of female mutilation. So this is work
carried out by NGOs and women and governments must attribute importance to the committees. They must set up an
ombudsman for citizens who are not members of NGOs or opposition parties and that reduces resorting to violence.
This will be brought about by civic education, information and sensitization. Currently, we have a big vacuum in
this domain, both by the government as well as the political parties. The efforts carried out by civil society
to educate and sensitize citizens are very limited, due to the limited means available. The civic training of women
and their sensitization should be accompanied by activities which would generate income because in the countries
concerned poverty is prevalent. Apart from the context of poverty, women are even poorer, because they have specific
needs, health and other problems.
In my tradition, we have a proverb which says that "A hungry stomach has no ears". This idea was inspired
for me by the direct contact I've had with women in activities related to the sensitization campaigns which I carried
out with them. To find resources, to solve daily problems and to take them to training and sensitization programs
was important because they have devoted hours and hours for small incomes, so by enhancing profitability and improving
their incomes so the time could be shared between the activities which would generate money and also training and
civic work, we could find a remedy for the majority of their problems.
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