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Topic Discussion III
Participation in
Democratic Decision-Making:
The Vital Voices of Women, Civil Society and
Pluralism
Room 5
(15 of 22 pages)
Chair: Can I ask you to wrap up? I'm sorry, but -- you have to press your
button.
Jasmal Adimi: My last comment is about women, I don't agree with my colleague. He said that women are having
other rights in our laws and that's true, they do. But of course, it's not complete, we still are not really --
the application of our obligation with international treaties and also with our -- even understanding in Islam
does not apply in our laws. But still, even what is retained in the law, what is -- women, what are they granted
in our law not a practice, because men are enforcing the law.
Two examples, very quick two examples, the law did not prevent women from being judges. Our higher judicial institute,
where they're trying to be judges and become judges, don't accept women. They go there and they say you are not
accepted. The law does not say no. This is just an example. The law says, fine, you can be a judge, but there is
no judge that has been graduated from that institute. We have judges from pre-unification. After unification, not
a single judge has been appointed.
Second, women have promised to be lawyers from our syndicate, from the lawyers' syndicate. There are judges who
say women cannot be lawyers without [inaudible]. I will leave this over to be translated. They have to bring a
man with them. So these are application of how our laws become enforced in practice when men practice them. They
practice the long, long, long period of culture and heritage, not what is retained in the court.
Just a short thing to Dr. -- the other thing is women are not part of political parties in this context, because
political parties in Yemen only use women as decoration, only as decoration, just for -- it's good for the embassies,
it's good for the international committee. It's just like the ruling party, just like putting women in, because
it's nice. But in reality, they have no power, they don't lead. They don't even decide on when committees have
to deal with women and they're only used because sometimes they need them. In certain parties like Isla or Islamists,
they cannot mix with women, so they have to have women to go to women, to get them to vote for men. So it's a big
problem here and I really think this judgmental judgment or the opinion of Dr. [inaudible], he's very -- he's a
person -- he knows exactly what he says.
I think he should think more about this point. And also, it's not justice to say that women are the reason for
what they are having today. That's not fair. They are not the reason what is happening to them by everybody.
Chair: I'm sorry, I'm going to have to just cut you off now and I'm sorry, because I actually agree with
everything you're saying and it's not for the philosophy. But we want to give other people a chance to speak. You've
had several options. We've been very pleased with your comments. But there are two gentlemen at the end of the
table that I've already recognized, the gentleman sitting next to Maria. Perhaps you'd like to go next. Thank you.
I mean, it's not through the lack of substance or quality, but there are a lot of people at the table. Thank you
for your intervention.
Speaker: Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Yes, this is Narap Porell (ph), Member of Parliament, Nepal.
Narap Porell (ph): [Not available due to technical difficulties]
Chair: Thank you. I think that was an important [tape cut out] the difference between cultural barriers
to participation, whether of women or other minorities, in the frame work of what is an openly legal -- no legal
barriers or where there are still legal barriers that may influence the opportunities for participation and I think
we're dealing with societies where both of those situations are there, or as was very passionately addressed, the
question of when there is uneven application of the law or where the legal frame work guarantees some participation,
but the application does not make that a reality and I think that's a very important point. There are a number
of different circumstances which get in the way of full participation of the democracy. So let's turn to the gentleman
at the end of the table.
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