Conference urges PPP/C to appoint more women MPs
By Miranda La Rose
Stabroek News
May 30, 2003
PPP/C General Secretary, Donald Ramotar was urged on Wednesday to ensure his party meets its constitutional obligations to have women fully represented in the National Assembly.
Ramotar was leading the discussions on the first working day of the four-day 50/50 Caribbean Conference on increasing women’s participation in Caribbean politics held at the Cara Inn.
The issue of having women holding one third of the seats in parliament and in policy decision-making bodies is in keeping with the historic 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference platform.
It was noted that the PPP/C currently fell short of this mandate and as a consequence the country’s female representation in parliament was 30.8%. The PNCR meets the requirement in relation to its Parliament complement and GAP/WPA’s representation is 100% female.
But the conference also noted that women’s participation in politics in the region was limited by the political parties themselves, a lack of support, their own lack of specific skills, the burdens of domestic responsibilities and a lack of money.
It was also suggested that male dominated systems, cultural and religious beliefs were barriers.
The conference has attracted the participation of women involved in politics throughout the Caribbean and is organised by the National Democratic Institute and co-hosted by the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Wednesday’s panel included Trinidadian women’s activist Hazel Brown and local attorney-at-law Anande Trotman.
Brown, a former political activist, noted that women formed the basis of struggles and protests worldwide and should they ever form their own political parties would prove formidable. However, apart from the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition formed in 1999, there is no other known women’s political movement.
Meanwhile, USAID Senior Democracy Officer, Dr Charles Cutshall, in remarks at the opening of the conference at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday evening, said USAID would fully support the creation of a women’s caucus as advocated some time ago by Guyana’s women’s parliamentarians.
Dr Cutshall said USAID democracy and governance programmes around the world had been working to increase the numbers of women to elected office as part of a set of democratic reforms.
A USAID programme, implemented by NDI, has begun training women in such areas as leadership skills, effective use of the media, negotiation strategies, understanding local government and campaign management.
Cutshall said the democracy programme included an HIV/AIDS programme; and the Guyana Economic Opportunities project involving support for women-owned micro-enterprises.
He said USAID was encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of women in the political parties represented in the National Assembly.
Also speaking at the opening session was founder member of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, Annie Campbell who spoke about the formation of the party, its challenges, and its future projects which first entail penetrating the local government system.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira said the suffragette movement worldwide was intrinsically linked to peace at the community and global levels and Northern Ireland was a modern day example of this.
She said participation in politics should not be seen solely in partisan terms or as an opportunity to hold office at the local, regional or national levels. It is also a struggle for safe communities to reduce domestic violence; to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS; and the eradication of illicit drug activities and fighting crime.
Discussions on Wednesday focused on global, national and local perspectives on increasing women’s political participation; and political socialisation/models of political involvement. Other panellists included June Weitland of the Women’s Environment and Development Organisation, Vanda Radzik of the Canadian International Development Agency, and PPP/C MP Philomena Sahoye-Shury.
