Women Empowerment Through Political Representation: The Mauritian Case Study
In the Mauritian context, the 50/50 Campaign aimed to achieve equal representation of women in politics by 2015. Through constitutional amendments and gender-neutral quotas, Mauritius saw a significant increase in women's participation in local government, moving from 14th to 6th rank among SADC countries by 2012.
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THE SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT 2014 50/50 Campaign The Mauritian Case Study Johannesburg Summit 2014 Marylyn Coopan Mauritian Women say We have done it! 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
REALITY 2005 2012 Wome n Candid ates No of women elected Total No. of Candid ates % of women Wome n candida tes No of women elected Total no of candida tes % of women Munici pal 44 16 367 5% 98 32 90 36 Villages 398 97 5397 1% 1177 300 1170 26 Total 442 113 5764 6% 1275 332 1260 26 % 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Background 2007: Research study by Gender Links with collaboration of MWO: Low representation of women in decision making. 100 100 80 80 Men 93.6 60 Men 81.7 60 40 40 Women 6.4 20 Women 18.3 20 0 Local 0 Government Parliament Mauritius was among the lowest ranked(14th) among the SADC countries.
50/50 CAMPAIGN After 2010 General Elections Media Campaign at National level Meeting with Minister of Local Government to share GL s research showing low representation of women. Change in Constitution and Amendment to the Local Government Act.
50/50 campaign December 2011: Amendment to the constitution for the introduction of a gender neutral quota that out the number of candidates fielded, 1/3 should be of either sex. Minister Louis Herve Aimee declared: 2012 was a landmark year with regard to the advancement of women in politics in my country . After December 2012 local government elections , Mauritius jumped from 14th to 6th rank among SADC countries.
Amendment to the Constitution Section 16(1) of the Mauritian Constitution states that no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory. Section 16(3) of the Constitution defines discriminatory to mean affording different treatment to different persons attributable to their different description with regard to various criteria. In this particular case it is the question of sex that was concerned.
Amendment to the Constitution Section 16 of the Constitution is amended,in subsection(4), by inserting after paragraph (a), the following new paragraph- (aa) for a minimum number of candidates for election to local authorities to be of a particular sex, with a view to ensuring adequate representation of each sex on a local authority.
0UTCOME: womens representation Municipalities 2005 2012 12% women candidates 28% women candidates 13% elected women councillors 36% elected women councillors Quatre-Bornes : 17% women councillors 53% women councillors Curepipe : 4% women councillors 47% women councilors.
OUTCOME: womens representation Village level 2005 2012 15% villages had no women candidates Only 7% women candidates in all villages 100% of villages had women candidates 30% women candidates No women were elected in 49% villages No women elected in only 5% villages 2% villages had 1/3 elected women councillors 52% villages had at least 1/3 elected women councillors
On the ground GL and Media Watch Organisation (Alliance focal partner) organised a One day workshop with all political leaders.
Training of women to join politics Development of a training manual Involving Partners for the training: - Ministries : Ministers opened workshops and financed catering-Rs 90,000 - NGO s - Rs 100,000 -Councils: Venues and Logistics- Rs 9,000
CHALLENGES and SOLUTIONS Attitude survey : 83.8% men and 77.3 women still think that women should still ask their partner about decision to be taken. Women had to be boosted for more self-esteem and to acquire more confidence. Support of partners and families that woman need to go out for campaigns at night. Actions: Awareness campaign at national level through forum, discussions. Training of potential candidates and gender activists(engage with media and development of manifestoes) Using women councillors as role models. Mock council meetings. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
MONITORING AND EVALUATION Daily monitoring of the newspapers , radio and TV and the social media. Access to all posted information on facebook page. GL s media monitoring shows a total of 13 print; 10 television and 10 radio interviews. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
IMPACT The success of the campaign has resulted in the gender neutral quota introduced for Local Government elections now being used as a model for the electoral reform in view of the next General Elections due 2015. I would like to thank (GL Francophone Director) Loga Virahsawmy and Gender Links for all their help over the last two years ensuring that the radical changes I proposed became reality. Herve Aimee, Minister of Local Government. Villages have a new face where gender is being mainstreamed at all levels. Budget for gender at District Council level( Gender and Climate Change, GBV)
Service delivery Neermala Mohur, among the first women Councillors of Grand-Port District Council told Gender Links she is empowering women to become economically independent. She is also making sure that there is proper lighting and the village is safe for the community. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Women Empowerment M.Michelle Lepredour,Councillor at Municipal Council of Curepipe says : GL has imparted me so much knowledge concerning my rights as a woman, as a community leader; my self- confidence got so boosted up that I came forward to enlist myself as a candidate in the Local elections . 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Men for change The new Local Government Act is another step in line with the Government s philosophy of the role of women . Their presence is one of proximity, as all councilors must reside in their local council area. Many are becoming leaders of their communities. It is my intention that local government should become a stepping stone for women to emerge for participation at the national level, where less than 20% of the members of the National Assembly are female. - Hon. Herve Aimee, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, at the GL Gender Justice and Local Government Summit, 2012. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Public participation Public participation has been ensured through Signature of petitions Opinion articles in newspapers Community based organisations participated in workshops and assisted councils in their activities. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Changes at workplace Men councillors and high officials are now gender aware. More women in Council brings new dynamics and change in attitudes and language. There is a gender agenda. Doreen Chuckory, Ist woman elected Lord Mayoress in history of Mauritian local Government since 1850. One District Council with no women has a special budget for an Association of Women Councilors. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Outreach through Media Maintaining pressure on the media throughout the campaign: Special space reserved for women. Media is more sensitized on the issue : women village councillors are being regularly interviewed. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Changes at household level Farzana Islam, Councillor of Camp Diable Village Council says: My husband encouraged me to stand as candidate, it is normal that he now shares with me the household chores and different responsibilities so that I can perform as a fully fledged councillor . 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Capacity building Poonam Sewnarain says: After the second workshop on Media Literacy and Women in Politics, we did the mock radio interview. This encouraged me to talk on issues raised at the workshop itself and what I intend to put in my electoral manifestoes. This triggered me and it was like a revision of the three day I spent with GL/MWO. While I was talking I did not even realise that it was me talking as never in my life I have talked on such important issues. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Changes in attitudes Cehl Meeah, a Member of Parliament and leader of the Mauritian Solidarity Front (FSM), commented at a political meeting at Vall e Pitot on 27 November: Citizens are moving away from such blatant stereotypes towards a more affirming position that women make a difference in politics by voting for them. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
LESSONS LEARNT AND INNOVATION Engaging political leaders from the top. Media as an ally. Networking with stakeholders and Ministries. Getting out of the box: using new technologies and a customised training manual. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
LEARNING AND SHARING WITH PARTNERS Ministers and gender activists financed workshops in six localities of Mauritius. Ministers and high level officials opened the workshops and committed themselves to make space for women, to encourage them to stand as candidates in the local elections. Councillors also helped by engaging with participants on how Councils work. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION MWO, the SADC Protocol Alliance Network in Mauritius to continue its work with - a) all stakeholders. - b) the Media - c) encourage women to talk to the Media Trainees to become trainers for the 2018 local elections to reach 50/50. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
KEY PRIORITIES FOR 2014 With the White Paper that went to Parliament in March 2014 and the Electoral Reform that is being discussed with a gender neutral approach, MWO as the SADC Protocol Alliance must intensify training for women so that there is at least one woman in each Constituency of Mauritius and at least 50% women on the PR List. Voters education Gender Political Manifesto. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
50/50 by 2015 Mauritius is setting the trend!
