FYI - a resource that may be of interest to some of you! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Charmaine Rodrigues <charmaine.rodrig...@undp.org> Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM Subject: [pacwin] Book Launch: "Utilising Temporary Special Measures to Promote Gender Balance in Pacific Legislatures: A Guide to Options" To: Pacific Women's Information Network <pac...@lyris.spc.int> Cc: Ema Moko <ema.m...@undp.org>
Hi All At this time, when we are all celebrating IWD, I am very pleased to be able to announce the launch (finally!) of a new publication, sponsored by PIFS and UNDP Pacific Centre, “Utilising Temporary Special Measures to Promote Gender Balance in Pacific Legislatures: A Guide to Options”. You may recall that I circulated information about the draft late last year – thanks very much to all of those who provided comments. The electronic copy of the publication can be accessed at http://www.undppc.org.fj/pages.cfm/publications/democratic-governance-reports. Note though, that the e-doc is quite large, so we had to split it into two parts. If you want hard copies, please just write to me with full contact details and we can put copies in the mail. I am on mission in PNG for a workshop on corruption next week, so if you can copy in Ema Moko at ema.m...@undp.org, she can action your request while I am away. I’m back in the office from 16 March. Best wishes to all on IWD. Cheers, Charmaine ------------------------------------------ *Work to Promote More Women in Pacific Legislatures Given a Boost* *[Suva – 7 March]* As people around the world celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, in the Pacific a new Guide has been launched by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the UNDP Pacific Centre which aims to provide policy-makers and advocates with concrete ideas on how to promote more women in Pacific legislatures. Mr Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, 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% women members and 95.8% 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, Mr Garry Wiseman, UNDP Pacific Centre Manager, said that affirmative action in favour of women recognises that women currently face barriers that unfairly inhibit their ability to effectively engage in the national political sphere and which will 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 Pacific 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. “More and more countries throughout the world are adopting some form of temporary special measures to increase the number of women in parliament. For example, Rwanda reserved 30% of its parliamentary seats for women in 2003 and there are now 56% women parliamentarians in the Rwandan legislature,” said Ms Rodrigues. Notably, in the Pacific, temporary special measures are already being implemented in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and Bougainville. As a result of the implementation of political party quotas for women, New Caledonia has 52.6% women in its legislature and French Polynesia has 42.1% women in its legislature. Bougainville’s Constitutions reserves three seats for women in its 41-member parliament. * * [Ends] For more information please contact: Snehal Morris, Communications Officer on (679) 3227507 Email : * snehal.mor...@undp.org* or Charmaine Rodrigues, Legislative Strengthening Specialist, on (679) 3227508 Email : *charmaine.rodgrig...@undp.org* Joanne Lee Kunutuba, Gender Officer, PIFS on (679) 322 0223 Email: joann...@forumsec.org.fj *Charmaine Rodrigues* Regional Legislative Strengthening Expert UNDP Pacific Centre 2nd Floor, YWCA Building Ratu Sukuna Park, Suva, Fiji Islands Office: +679 330 0399 Direct Line: +679 322 7504 Fax: +679 330 1976 URL: http://regionalcentrepacific.undp.org.fj -------------- Unsubscribing : leave-pac...@lyris.spc.int
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