|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Elections 2004: Political parties ignore women by Neomi kodikara Women's groups around Sri Lanka celebrate yet another International
Women's Day tomorrow, with dashed hopes of having their demands Women who form 50 per cent of the electorate, were represented by a mere 4.5 per cent in the parliament that was dissolved on February 7 this year. This figure is the lowest in the South Asian region with the exception of Bangladesh, at two per cent. The Women's Manifesto (see box) demands a minimum quota of 30 per cent for women in parliament, and 50 per cent representation in the National Lists. But the main contenders in this election, the United National Party (UNP) and United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have fielded just 22 women out of a total of 513 candidates, refusing to improve on the 4.5 per cent figure. While 10 women are contesting on the UNP ticket, two of whom are on the National List, the UPFA has fielded 12, three of whom are on the National List. The UPFA Leader for Colombo District, Susil Premjayantha said that they will be addressing many problems relating to women, but declined to elaborate until the Alliance's political manifesto is issued. When asked about the under-representation of women nominees he said that 30 per cent quota was not a rule or regulation. UNP sources said that it was quite a difficult task to find women nominees. "More than men, women undergo bitter experiences in the political arena, from harassment, intimidation to wicked character assassination. No longer is it possible in this country to do gentlemanly politics, so it is no wonder that women are hesitant," he said. Lalitha Dissanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Women's Affairs in the caretaker government said that they recommended a quota of at least 30 per cent as a special reform to the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms in 2003, "but couldn't go ahead with it." "The Ministry is trying to encourage women to come up in politics, initially at the local government level through training and grooming programmes," she said. "In addition, we want the present political culture to be more women-friendly." The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has fielded one woman candidate in Jaffna, out of a total of 50 and the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) has five women out of 48 according to party sources. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has no women candidates.
National Organiser of Socialist Women's Union, which comes under People's Liberation Front (JVP), Dimuthu Atigala, who believes that human rights are women's rights too said that though they did not demand women's rights, they will surely force the government to address common issues that concern women, such as the rising-crime wave, sky rocketing cost of living etc. She attributed the lack of women's participation in politics to violence and the negative social attitude towards women in politics. "There is gender inequality, hardship, character assassination, in addition to physical violence. If a woman enters politics, she has to be pretty thick-skinned," she said. "However, we believe that this situation should change, it cannot go on like this, if there are woman politicians they will be able to cater to the grievances of women more effectively," she added. Women's groups point out that in spite of the fact that Sri Lanka's women were granted the vote as far back as 1931, before their compatriots in the region, representation of women in the institutions of governance at all levels has been deplorable. There were just 4.5 per cent in Parliament, 3.4 per cent in Provincial Councils, and 1.7 per cent in Municipal and Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Dr. Kumari Jayawardane, Secretary of the Social Scientists Association said that many had campaigned for the 30 per cent quota for women, a demand that the political parties had ignored. Corroborating Lalitha Dissanayake's statement she said quotas had been recommended to the Parliamentary Select Committee to make recommendations for electoral reform, by representatives from women's groups along with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. Dr. Jayawardane dismissed the idea that women were reluctant to enter politics because of prevalent violence. "It's a fabrication of politicians, the actual reason is that they do not want to include women nominees in their list," she charged. "They want to mobilise women's political participation only as organisers and canvassers. If women are afraid, as they say, would they participate in politics at any level? At election time, there is an increasing awareness of the voting power of women, as key factors to win elections. But, giving her voice and recognition at the decision making level is conveniently forgotten," she said. Dr. Jayawardane said that consciousness needs to be raised during election campaigns in order to make the candidates and the general public aware of women's demands." More women are needed in parliament and local bodies, especially at decision making levels to put forward issues affecting women and to take gender-sensitive positions on matters of national and international importance, including the peace process." She pointed out another injustice at the level of voting, which is the disfranchisement of migrant workers, most of whom are women. The 1994 Parliament had only 11 women of a total of 225 members (4.8 per cent), and only one woman in the national list of 29 nominated members of Parliament. In the 2000 Parliament, the number of women MPs declined still further to nine members or 4 per cent of the total. In the Parliament elected in 2001, there were 10 women or 4.5 per cent, she said. "This is the lowest in the South Asian region with the exception of Bangladesh. There are 8.5 per cent women in India's Lok Sabha, over 20 per cent in Pakistan's National Assembly and 5.8 per cent in Nepal's House of Representatives. Representation of women in the National Parliament of Bangladesh declined from 11.2 per cent in 1996 to 2 per cent with the expiry of women's quota in 2001." Co-Director of Women and Media Collective and Sri Lanka Women's NGO Forum Kumuduni Samuel believes that women could play an active role in the constitution making process of their countries. She emphasised the importance of bringing together women from all walks of life, ranging from academics to women at grass root level in the country, to decision making level. According to her though there are good policy statements in the country, for women, a National Plan for Women, there is lack of enthusiasm and planning to implement them. "Violence against women, is prevalent, it may be sexual violence, domestic violence or any other exploitation of women, but the law provides shelter to culprits. Enormous lapses and loop holes in the punitive measures presently available in the Penal Code prevent the arrest of increasing violence against women," she said. However, she is of the opinion that NGOs and the Ministry concerned had done effective work in trying to uplift the social status of females. "Ministries and NGOs have tried, and we have achieved many a thing, governments come into power, formulate and form policies but do not begin to implement them," she charged. Pearl Stephens, Coordinator of Women's Development Centre in Kandy agrees that only if more women get involved in decision making, that wider opportunities will be opened to the country's women. She says that women do not get enough support, persuasion and encouragement to come into politics. "Not only men within families, but political parties also are reluctant to assist women to come forward in politics." She adds that the few women who had come forward in power politics did not seem to do their duty by women. "When a woman becomes a politician she forgets that she is a woman." The Women's Manifesto 2004, demands ... * A minimum quota of 30 per cent women in Provincial Councils and at Local Government level (Pradeshiya Sabhas, Municipal and Urban Councils.) * A minimum 30 per cent quota of women in Parliament and 50 per cent of those appointed to the National List. * More women ministers, junior ministers and cabinet ministers as well as secretaries to ministries, heads of institutions and in the judiciary. * A minimum of 30 per cent women candidates at all levels in political parties. * Adequate training and other support for women candidates. * Research and other support services to enable women to be more effective in Parliament and local bodies. * Caucus of women in the law-making bodies cutting across party politics-in order to focus on women's issues. * A national campaign to promote more women in politics and in decision making positions. * Voting rights for Sri Lankan migrant workers abroad (about one million) the great majority of whom are women. The Womens Manifesto 2004 is issued by: Sri Lanka Women's NGO Forum Centre for Womens Research (CENWOR) Muslim Women's Research and Action Forum Women and Media Collective Women's Education and Research Centre (WERC) Voice of Women Kantha Shakti International Centre for Ethnic Studies- Gender Unit Women in Need (WIN) Social Scientists Association - Gender Unit Women's Coalition for Peace Mothers' and Daughters' of Sri Lanka. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
met. While
the celebrations coincide with the launching by political parties of their
campaigns for the April 2 election, ironically, one of the key demands on
the women's manifesto - that women's participation in the political
process be strengthened - has been roundly ignored by all major political
parties.
Disputed Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree
who contests as an Independent said that very few women enter politics in
Sri Lanka because of the present political culture, "Let alone women,
see the harassment of male candidates, a woman cannot survive in such
violence. Before asking women to enter politics we should change this
political culture of violence," he said. He denied that the political
parties did not want women in their lists, "We tried, but I could not
find a single woman candidate in Jaffna willing to take up the risk of
contesting, no one comes forward," he said.
