OAS Observer mission implemented methodology of gender participation
GUYANA has made significant progress in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the political process, Chief of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Electoral Observer Mission (OAS/EOM) to Guyana, Professor Gordon Shirley said yesterday.
Telling about the EOM findings, at a press briefing at Pegasus Hotel, in Kingston, Georgetown, he said, for the first time in the Caribbean, the OAS, through its Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO), implemented a methodology to incorporate the level of gender participation in its electoral observation missions, during the 2011 General and Regional Elections.
This procedure allowed the OAS/EOM to assess the full and equal participation of both women and men in the electoral process at all levels, as well as contribute recommendations to member states on how to improve in this area, Shirley disclosed.
According to him, Guyana is the only country in the Caribbean region with a gender quota for party lists, in effect. The current composition of 30 per cent female representatives in parliament demonstrates the country’s commitment to female participation in politics.
“The observed polling stations were comprised of more than 75 percent female poll workers and the active participation of female poll agents and police were also noted,” he stated.
In addition to reporting on the findings, the OAS/EOM listed a number of recommendations for areas of improvement in future electoral processes, which will be presented in the final report.
Shirley said: “As a preliminary set of measures, the mission recommends working on the following areas in order to reduce the potential for manipulation.”
As it relates to the issue of ‘Strengthening the promotion of gender balanced participation throughout the electoral processes’, the OAS/EOM made the following recommendation.
“Given that only one of the four major political parties fielded a woman at the top of its ticket for this election and party leaders have complete discretion in deciding which candidates from the list actually gain seats in the assembly, the OAS/EOM recommends further mechanisms to ensure the continued participation of women in the political arena.”
Shirley also said, considering the predominance of women as poll workers and party agents, the mission recommended instituting gender balance throughout the electoral and political hierarchy to ensure equitable representation of both genders at all levels.
“It is vital that the Government and GECOM promote training programmes for female candidates, support awareness on women’s issues and seek to support legislation to proactively promote gender equality in all spheres of life in Guyana,” he posited.
A verbal report on the observations and recommendations of the OAS/ EOM will be made to the OAS Permanent Council in Washington D.C, in January 2012 and Shirley said it would include additional observations and recommendations which will be shared with all stakeholders in Guyana.
In general, the methodology analysed the diverse factors that directly and indirectly influence the opportunities and the barriers to participation in the political process specifically faced by women.
The project was initiated in November 2009 with support from the Governments of Canada, Germany and Spain.
Other pilot projects with this methodology, to date, have been conducted in the Latin American countries of Paraguay, Peru, Guatemala and Colombia.