Pledges for women participation in politics

TIRANA, Aug 11 – As always ahead of general elections, though about a year early, politicians are involved in a controversy guaranteed to attract the interest of the country’s women. For voices have begun pledging they will assist Albanian women in becoming a more significant force in the next government.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party has said women should make up no fewer than 30 percent of those in parliament and government, and he said women’s participation in government would be a central issue in the election.
He has two women in his cabinet and, in total, there remain only seven women as lawmakers.
Opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama has even more ambitious recommendations. He suggests the new parliament should have an equal number of men and women, that is 50 percent, or 70 women, as lawmakers.
Rama has said that an important issue during his term as party leader and as Mayor of Tirana has been appointing women, including into top posts. His party has pledged to more than 30 percent of its candidates will be women in the next year’s parliamentary election.
The country’s president, Bamir Topi, says that only a higher presence of women would reduce family violence, which has had a significant increase recently.
There is also support from Jozefina Topalli, parliament Speaker and herself a woman, pledging a greater presence for women.
These are all good promises a year ahead. Much remains to be seen when the political parties introduce the list of candidates for the elections.