| World leaders draw attention to central role of women's political participation in democracy |
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In the context of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly last week, women political leaders stressed the importance to foster women empowerment at all levels of political life, as a cornerstone to build a viable democracy and to foster sustainable development and peace. Participants signed on to a joint statement, making concrete recommendations on how to foster women’s political participation around the world. “We are concerned that women in every part of the world continue to be largely marginalized from decision-making, often as a result of discriminatory laws, practices, and attitudes, and due to poverty disproportionately affecting women”, reads the statement issued after the conference. Making up less than one in five members in parliament on a global scale, women continue to be largely underrepresented in most countries despite global agreements to improve the situation, participants warned. According to Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, the current democracy movements in the Middle East and North Africa offer a chance to actively promote women’s participation in the transitional processes. “The transitions currently under way must move those societies towards empowerment, engagement, and equality for all women” if it is to result in a “real democracy”, Migiro pointed out. In her speech held at the meeting, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton emphasised the important role women leaders can play in actively enhancing women’s political participation. “We hear stories too often about my generation being the first, and the biggest challenge I think we face is to make sure that what was the first becomes the norm, that every child who is a girl has the same opportunities we had”, Ashton stressed. If the situation is to improve, women in power should continue pushing “the ladder down and enable the girls and women who will follow us to be able to climb up the ladder”. Ashton also pointed to her efforts to increase the number of female heads of delegations in the recently established European External Action Service (EEAS), which has been criticised by many as being male-dominated. However, the high official also admitted that the number was still too low. “I try to make sure that women get equal chances in all of the jobs that we have available, but we still have a long way to go”, she said. Read Ashton’s full speech here: Council of the European Union (pdf) Read the declaration here: UN Women Sources:  |
