Press Release

Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers

Stockholm, 22 August 1997 -- Recent elections in Uganda, Great Britain and France demonstrate that women are finally finding their way into parliament. The next step of the process is to more clearly understand how women can make an impact on policy making and legislation once elected.

This was the focus of a two-day workshop organized by the Stockholm-based International IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance), ending here today.

Women parliamentarians from half a dozen countries discussed and shared experiences on strategies for female MP’s to make an impact on national legislation.

"There is no real equality in power sharing and representation anywhere in the world," explained Ms. Birgitta Dahl, the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament. She said that scepticism regarding impact of women in politics is invalid. "As long as there has never been real equality there has never been a situation of equal power sharing." Ms Dahl went on to highlight the importance of establishing networks between women, working across party lines for policies favourable to women’s needs, and adopting a working climate which makes it easier to combine politics with family responsibilities.

"The working schedule at the Swedish parliament was originally designed for middle-class men, they have meetings in the evening and late into the night," she continued. "How can a mother function like this? This concerns all women in parliament from across the political spectrum."

Ms. Sushma Swaraj, Speaker of India’s largest opposition party, member of parliament, and the youngest cabinet Minster in her country when elected in 1977, stressed the importance of educating women. "Women outside of parliament need to learn that they can become a member of parliament, just like me. They too have the right to have political power. Education is the key."

Ms Rawya Rashad Shawa, an independent member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, agreed. "The answer is education, it is the top concern," she said. But education should not stop once women have gotten into parliament. "Women coming into politics must lean how to better start a dialogue, how to stress a point, make a speech and introduce a bill. This education must begin as soon as possible, but certainly once a woman is in parliament these fundamental skills must be developed."

Ms. Margaret Dongo, independent member of parliament from Zimbabwe, who joined her first political party as a guerrilla fighter when she was 15, stressed the need to empower female politicians. "Courage, commitment and confidence -- the three C’s -- are needed for any politician. Often women lack confidence. They need to be empowered as citizens and as politicians. It is also essential that women have access to information, they must intervene in the consultation period and see legislation in its earliest stages."

Ms. Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini, parliamentarian from South Africa spoke about the pressure for women never to make a mistake. "One leading problem that women must overcome in parliament is that when one woman makes a mistake, it reflects on all women, everywhere. This must be changed."

Participants highlighted a number of measures to ensure that women in parliament , once there, made an impact, such as using positive gender bias when drafting policy and legislation, using the media to boost awareness about women’s issues, and normalising the relationship between women and men in the political process.

The meeting was held to discuss an on-going project by International IDEA to produce a handbook for women in parliament. The handbook will look at how women get into parliament, and will concentrate on strategies and mechanisms for making a difference once elected.

"The handbook will be a practical tool for women to consult in their political career," says Dr. Azza Karam, project officer at International IDEA, and editor of the handbook. "This workshop has shown how much information is available for young politicians. To be able to build on the experience of these women is practical and important."