YEMENI WOMEN DEMAND GREATER PARTICIPATION IN PARTY

UNCLAS SANAA 002385 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMPI PGOV KDEM PHUM YM DEMOCRATIC REFORM HUMAN RIGHTS SUBJECT: YEMENI WOMEN DEMAND GREATER PARTICIPATION IN PARTY POLITICS ¶1. Summary: On August 25 nineteen female members of the three major Yemeni political parties overcame substantive political differences to sign a joint-declaration calling on their parties to accept a quota for women candidates in the 2006 municipal and 2009 parliamentary elections. The culmination of a MEPI/NDI workshop, the declaration calls for greater inclusion of women in their parties' decision making process, improved media coverage of women's political activism, and party support for a women's department in the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referenda. The women expect to release the declaration at a press conference on Wednesday, September 8. End summary. -------------- Challenges: Identifying the Road Ahead -------------- ¶2. Nineteen female members of the General People's Congress (GPC),The Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah),and the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) participated in the August 21-25 NDI workshop. According to NDI Yemen Country Director Yemen Robin Madrid, reaching consensus on the declaration was not easy. NDI conference facilitators had to overcome the fear of participants that the majority GPC women would dominate the process. Interestingly, according to Madrid, it was the Islah women who were more politically astute, more progressive vis a vis women's rights, and more accustomed to fighting in order to defend their position. ¶3. During the conference, the women identified some of the difficulties they faced in daily political life. Primary among their frustrations was their exclusion from access to decision making gatherings, including evening party assemblies (which some were not allowed to participate in because of their families),meetings with tribal Sheikhs, and Qat chews. -------------- Reforms: Putting on the Pressure -------------- ¶4. In addition to approving the declaration, the participants identified needed projects to facilitate reform. These ranged from conducting a public opinion survey to determine the attitudes of male and female party members attitudes towards women's participation in local councils and improving party fundraising capacity. They also identified the substantive step toward implementing these reforms. The women also identified three principal goals they needed to collectively achieve: Enhancing personal power, increasing women's strength within political parties, and developing a national message and strategy to promote women's political participation. -------------- Next Steps: Keeping up the Momentum -------------- ¶5. To ensure follow-up on the conference and the ensuing declaration, NDI will appoint a resident political party expert to visit the various party branches in September to advice on implementation of the proposed reforms, assist in the development of enhanced intra-party communication, and help lobby for the implementation of the declaration. ¶6. Comment. Both the declaration and workshop come at a time when Yemeni women have been losing political ground within the ROYG. Since unification in 1990, societal norms and political parties' systematic hindrance of female candidates have chipped away at women's political representation. Since 1990, women have lost ten out of 11 seats in Parliament. However, at the same time that their numbers in Parliament have declined, Yemeni women have increased their participation in voting and party activities. Capitalizing on the growing political awareness of women in Yemen, this MEPI program is helping women develop the necessary tools for women to regain and exceed their previous levels of representation in elected bodies. End Comment. KRAJESKI