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Tunisian politicians agree on importance of quota system |
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Participants in a round table discussion on the political participation of women in Tunisia insisted that all actors should be involved in the process of consolidating and enhancing women’s participation in the country’s political arena. Unanimously, participants recommended that a quota system be established until women are effectively engaged in the country’s legal mechanisms, political parties and other decision-making posts.
The round table focused on the theme “Strengthening dialogue on women’s political participation” and was held on 2-3 June in Tunis. Participants included both men and women, and were Members of Parliament and representatives from different Tunisian political parties. A number of experts and researchers also participated.
During the event, participants discussed women’s political involvement in the Arab world generally and in Tunisia specifically. Topics included: the media and women’s political participation; legal mechanisms that have an influence on the presence of women in legal bodies and obstacles, challenges, opportunities and strategic recommendations for strengthening women’s participation in political life.
Discussions focused mainly on the disparity between legal texts which establish the equality between men and women and the reality of women’s political participation, particularly in the various political parties. Furthermore, participants highlighted the lack of participation by young people, particularly young women, in civil society organizations. This was of particular concern because these organizations are considered a training ground for future involvement in politics.
Participants raised the question of how men and women’s traditional roles constrain women’s participation in the political arena. It was noted that these roles often contribute to the lack of media visibility given to women to enable them to become known in the political and public spheres. Many participants expressed their satisfaction with the present electoral system in Tunisia but emphasized that opposition parties should make further efforts to involve women in the political sphere.
Several recommendations were formulated by the round table, including:
• The organization of a national consultation with stakeholders concerning the quota system
• The programming of training sessions targeting women in parliament to enhance their abilities to interact with the media
• The creation of a data bank of competent actors who could organize awareness raising activities on the issue of the media and the participation of women in political life
• The formulation of a political discourse that interests young people, particularly young women
• The implementation of effective institutional, financing, statistical and research mechanisms capable of consolidating women’s participation in political life
• The integration of a gender approach to guarantee the human rights and equality of men and women, particularly in the political field.
The round table was organized jointly by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) as part of the project “Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in politics and decision-making in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.”
Read more about the proyect here
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