Promoting enhancing of women’s participation

TIRANA, Nov. 9 – On Tuesday there was held a two-day conference on enhancing the women’s participation in the public and political life.
The conference was part of a project funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Swedish International Development Agency and implemented by the OSCE-Presence entitled ‘Enhancing Women’s Role in Governance’.
The conference discussed, within a national and regional context, issues of gender equality in public and political life and security, focusing on the achievements in promoting gender equality, the implementation of national gender equality strategies, the UNSCR 1325 and lessons learnt.
That is one of a series of such promotions held in the post-communist country but still women’s participation remains low. Women leaders from around the region took part.
Last June in Tirana there was held a national conference held on challenging gender stereotypes to support the full and active participation of women in public and political life.
The meeting was held on the 1oth anniversary of the UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
OSCE Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth also addressed the conference saying that “greater equality between women and men is vital to achieving security, prosperity, and full democratic standards and hence to security and stability in the OSCE area.”
He added that the OSCE has always seen the promotion of gender equality a top priority; starting with the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act when participating States committed themselves to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without any distinction based on gender.
In 2005, the OSCE formally endorsed the Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality that promotes the rights, interests and concerns of women in areas where inequality and discrimination are most prevalent.
Wollfarth also said that the role of the Executive, Legislative and civil society in mainstreaming gender into polices and the implementation of gender legislation was evidently critical.
Political parties also have a key role to play in establishing and maintaining a conducive environment in which a fairer political representation of women in representational institutions can be assured.
“The equal representation of women and men in politics is a key parameter of any modern democracy.
With May 2011 local government elections soon to be upon us, only some 26 weeks away I might add, this will be an excellent chance to see whether the Albanian political class is really serious about dealing with the issue of gender inequality,” he said.
Wollfarth also urged Albanian political parties that the percentage of elected women local councillors needs to rise from the current lowly base of 10 percent.
The Electoral Code envisages one out of three candidates on all election lists, provided by the political parties, must be a woman. Or a political party may be fined a paltry 300 US dollars for a violation.
“The time is now to grab the moment, to make the change – not simply to further all integration ambitions, rightful though that is, but because to make the change is simply the right thing to do,” said Wollfarth.