When Tunisia's ruling party announced that women would hold 30% of all electoral slots in the municipal elections next May, opposition parties quickly followed suit.
By Monia Ghanmi for Magharebia in Tunis – 28/03/10
Tunisia's political parties are gearing up for the May 9th, 2010 municipal elections by widely increasing the number of female political candidates on their electoral rolls.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has signaled support for greater female political participation by calling on the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) to allocate 30% of its electoral slots to women and by telling the RCD political bureau on Thursday (March 25th) to emphasize the role of both women and youth in the political process.
"The decision about the presence of women in the ruling party's electoral rolls was made to enhance the presence of women in public life and political arena," RCD Deputy Secretary-General for Women Abir Moussi said earlier this month.
"Tunisian women have now become aware of the size of responsibility on their shoulders to increase their efforts in order to make this election a success," she added.
Female RCD politicians embraced the move. Zaineb Ben Hssin, who serves in the Chamber of Deputies as an RCD representative, believes this target is a "reasonable" one.
Following the president's lead, Popular Unity Party (PUP) chief Mohamed Bouchiha said: "The PUP will renew trust in women by enabling them to participate in this municipal election with... a percentage of about 30%."
Political observers estimate that 10,000 candidates will run for 264 municipal seats, 75% of which are allocated to the ruling party. Under an April 2009 amendment to the electoral law, however, opposition parties – for the first time in Tunisian history – will receive 25% percent of the remaining seats.
The Green Party for Progress (PVP) plans to go even further. In its first municipal election appearance since securing official approval in 2006, the PVP will "prioritize" women by offering them 50% of the political spaces, party secretary-general Mongi Khamassi said.
Not every party is making such sweeping gestures to incorporate women into their political structures. The Unionist Democratic Union (UDU) will only allot 15-18% of electoral slots for potential female candidates.
Still, UDU Chamber of Deputies representative Nawal Hmissi conceded to Magharebia that "the presence of women has become inevitable in all elections, given the in-depth experience they have acquired and also because of the awareness of parties, especially opposition parties, of the importance of enabling women to exercise their political rights."
After the 2005 elections, the number of female municipal councilors reached 857, or nearly 25%.
Mounira Ben Fadhloun has worked as a municipal chairperson for the past eight years. "It was a successful, enriching experience," she told Magharebia.
"This position requires that the woman be aware of all aspects of legal affairs and public life. She must also be politically mature," she explained.
Ben Fadhloun also hit back at critics who questioned women's capacity to fulfill the duties of a public servant.
"After all," she said, to do this political work, "there is no difference between man and woman."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/28/feature-01.
By Monia Ghanmi for Magharebia in Tunis – 28/03/10
Tunisia's political parties are gearing up for the May 9th, 2010 municipal elections by widely increasing the number of female political candidates on their electoral rolls.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has signaled support for greater female political participation by calling on the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) to allocate 30% of its electoral slots to women and by telling the RCD political bureau on Thursday (March 25th) to emphasize the role of both women and youth in the political process.
"The decision about the presence of women in the ruling party's electoral rolls was made to enhance the presence of women in public life and political arena," RCD Deputy Secretary-General for Women Abir Moussi said earlier this month.
"Tunisian women have now become aware of the size of responsibility on their shoulders to increase their efforts in order to make this election a success," she added.
Female RCD politicians embraced the move. Zaineb Ben Hssin, who serves in the Chamber of Deputies as an RCD representative, believes this target is a "reasonable" one.
Following the president's lead, Popular Unity Party (PUP) chief Mohamed Bouchiha said: "The PUP will renew trust in women by enabling them to participate in this municipal election with... a percentage of about 30%."
Political observers estimate that 10,000 candidates will run for 264 municipal seats, 75% of which are allocated to the ruling party. Under an April 2009 amendment to the electoral law, however, opposition parties – for the first time in Tunisian history – will receive 25% percent of the remaining seats.
The Green Party for Progress (PVP) plans to go even further. In its first municipal election appearance since securing official approval in 2006, the PVP will "prioritize" women by offering them 50% of the political spaces, party secretary-general Mongi Khamassi said.
Not every party is making such sweeping gestures to incorporate women into their political structures. The Unionist Democratic Union (UDU) will only allot 15-18% of electoral slots for potential female candidates.
Still, UDU Chamber of Deputies representative Nawal Hmissi conceded to Magharebia that "the presence of women has become inevitable in all elections, given the in-depth experience they have acquired and also because of the awareness of parties, especially opposition parties, of the importance of enabling women to exercise their political rights."
After the 2005 elections, the number of female municipal councilors reached 857, or nearly 25%.
Mounira Ben Fadhloun has worked as a municipal chairperson for the past eight years. "It was a successful, enriching experience," she told Magharebia.
"This position requires that the woman be aware of all aspects of legal affairs and public life. She must also be politically mature," she explained.
Ben Fadhloun also hit back at critics who questioned women's capacity to fulfill the duties of a public servant.
"After all," she said, to do this political work, "there is no difference between man and woman."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/28/feature-01.
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