IPU logoThe Journal of the IPU
MONTHLY WEB PUBLICATION9 June 2000, Number 10
  Event of the month

Women in Politics in 2000

I N T E R V I E W
Mrs. Luisa Fernanda Rudi
President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies
By Luisa Ballin

Luisa Fernanda Rudi The Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) have jointly presented a world map showing the presence of women in parliament and government (see press release Nr. 98). The map shows that five years after the Beijing World Conference on Women, the number of women in parliament and government has changed little. Spain however is one country that has seen women rise to the highest positions of State. Apart from having female ministers, it is the only country in Europe to have women chairing both parliamentary chambers.

Q. For the very first time Spain has a woman presiding over both parliamentary chambers, and this is the only case of its kind in Europe. Do you see this as evidence of women breaking new ground in politics?

Ms Luisa Fernanda Rudi : The fact that both the Senate and the Congress are presided over by women is certainly a visible sign of the increasing involvement of Spanish women in national politics. Since Spain's return to democracy, society has evolved in a way that has been mirrored in politics. We are, I think, bringing things up to the standards of our European colleagues. As President of the Congress of Deputies, I intend to continue pushing this process forward. I have no doubt that this is the wish of both the government and all the Spanish political parties.

Q. The cases of the CDU in Germany or the RPR in France seem to suggest that in times of crisis women are chosen to lead parties. How do you explain this ?

L.F.R.: Any interpretation of the cases of the CDU or the RPR has to focus on the personal attainments of the winning candidates. Their success is due to the gradual involvement of women in politics in both countries, but more important than that is the way society as a whole is changing, because those changes are going to have an impact on every sort of professional activity.

Q. The Inter-Parliamentary Union is organising a Conference of Presiding Officers of Parliaments on the eve of the Millennium Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York. What sort of role do you think parliaments can play in international relations?

L.F.R. : The role of parliaments is to give voice to the people's legitimate aspirations expressed through the ballot box. International activities are now being conducted in an ever more globalised world, and it falls to governments, and also to parliaments, to fulfil those legitimate aspirations.

Rather than supplanting governments in their diplomatic work, this means enhancing dialogue through mutual acquaintances among democratically elected representatives, so as to better understand international phenomena and the problems that affect us all. I am very interested in continuing to work in the sphere of parliamentary diplomacy, because I believe that we can help to enrich international relations and improve understanding between countries and societies.

  Events

IPU Secretary General visits to the Israeli Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council

The IPU Secretary General, M. Anders B. Johnsson, paid an official visit to the Palestinian Legislative Council, on the 7 May, immediately after the 103rd Inter-Parliamentary Conference which took place from 30 April to 6 May in Amman. In Ramallah, the IPU Secretary General was received by Mr Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, who thanked him for the work carried out by the IPU at the Conference in Amman. Mr Johnsson also met with Mr Abu Ala, Speaker of the Legislative Council. The IPU Secretary General briefed Mr Abu Ala on the IPU's Technical Cooperation Programme and the role that the IPU can play in strengthening national parliaments.

On the 8 May, the IPU Secretary General was in Jerusalem, where he was received by the Speaker of the Knesset, Mr Avraham Burg. Among other topics, they discussed the importance of the Knesset's participation in the work of the IPU and the resolution adopted in Amman on refugees. "The IPU promotes the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and the participation of both Israel and Palestine in the dialogue that must precede the settlement of conflicts in the Middle East is crucial", said Mr Johnsson. The IPU Secretary General also visited the Holocaust Memorial.

The President of the IPU Council, Dr Najma Heptulla, has also visited the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council this month. A report of this visit will be published in the next issue of the IPU Journal.

IPU seminar in Nairobi

MPs appeal to UN and OAU

The African Members of Parliaments, at the end of the Regional Seminar on "Parliaments and the Budget Process, including from a Gender Perspective" which took place from 22 to 24 May 2000, adopted the Nairobi Declaration, in which they noted "with deep concern the suffering and death of innocent people resulting from wars and armed conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world. We are aware of the destruction of our economies because of these armed conflicts and are concerned about their dramatic negative impact on the most vulnerable groups of the population, particularly women and children. We therefore appeal to the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity and other regional organisations to encourage dialogue and negotiations among those parties involved in armed conflicts in Africa with a view to promoting peaceful settlement". The seminar was organized by the IPU, in cooperation with the Parliament of Kenya, UNDP, CPA and UNIFEM.

Budgets: the gender perspective

The guidelines stated that budgets were not neutral instruments, that ensuring that budgets were gender-sensitive was the best way to meet the needs and aspirations of the majority of people, and that boys and girls as well as men and women were included in the gender approach to society.

  Focus

  Rafsanjani

Ms Faezeh Hachemi-Rafsanjani, MP of Iran

Ms Faezeh Hachemi-Rafsanjani is one of 14 women among a total of 270 MP's elected in the new Iranian parliament. The young MP comes from a prominent family of politicians, is a mother and works very actively with the media.

Q: Is the arrival of women in politics having an impact on Iranian society?

F.H.R.: Yes, definitely. Women can play a very important role and they can have a very strong impact on society. Of course, this impact can have two aspects : a general one, when women are members of parties and, like men, they can vote for whatever they want or express their opposition to whatever they don't want. On issues more specifically related to women, they can play a very important role in amending laws and proposing new legislation which promotes the rights of women, and making sure that the rights of women are respected. In this field, we have been successful. Since the Revolution, for example, our Parliament has adopted 25 amendments in favour of women.

Q: What is the obstacle to the presence of women in politics?

F.H.R: There is no legal obstacle. However, if a woman wants to be elected as an MP but she is not known or is not affiliated to any party, it is a little difficult for her to be known by the people. But it can be done. I think the major problem is a cultural one. We also lack self confidence. And also the people don't think they can vote for women, as they must. That is a cultural problem but we are going to change it and we are working in that direction.

Q: Do women vote for women?

F.H.R. : Probably not all of them. Because if all women did, the number of women in politics would be higher than now.

Q: Are you an optimist or do you think the trend will reverse?

F.H.R.: According to the latest statistics, the number of women in parliaments has decreased.
Prior to these recent elections, I was very optimistic. But the results of the last elections changed my mind a little. I think that the reason is that our society has become very politicised in the last 2 or 3 years. Especially, some reformists pay too much attention to policy. They do not pay enough attention to other dimensions of development. They emphasize only political development; it is not wise to pay attention to one dimension of development and forget the others. For example, I am an MP and when I am interviewed and I say something about women and policy the newspapers, which belong to the reformists, will only publish what I said about policy. They never publish what I say about women, they focus only on what I said about policy which they put on the front page. I don't think that this is balanced treatment. In my opinion, in the future we will have some problems with this approach.

  Quotes, Unquotes

M. Guennadi Seleznev, Speaker of the Duma of the Russian Federation

Do women make a difference in politics?

G.S. : I think the major changes have not yet taken place and that politics remains largely a men's affair. The only exceptions are the parliaments of Scandinavian countries which have many women members, including Presiding officers. At the same time, I am personally convinced that there should be more women parliamentarians. Whether we like it or not, we are becoming more sensitive to world problems and to problems existing inside every country. As a mother, a family keeper, a person whose tenderness can calm down a child, a woman can be very productive in dealing with social issues.

Dr Najma Heptulla, President of the IPU Council at the IPU/UN Tripartite Consultation on "Democracy through Partnership between Men and Women" - New York - 7 June 2000

The consultation represents a turning point, for it brings together, for the very first time in the UN context, the representatives of three major institutional actors whose work is becoming increasingly interdependent : Governments, Parliaments and the UN system. The message is that if the UN is to be effective, more institutional concertation and understanding, is needed, more cooperation between the relevant international organisations, governments and parliaments.

Parliaments must be more closely associated with a process which will not end with the closing ceremony of the General Assembly. The Special Session is in fact a brief halt on a very long road, and in our home countries most of the implementation procedures will need the endorsement of Parliaments, which must approve programs, and vote legislation and budgetary appropriations. Parliaments will also continue to measure the pulse of society and relay their findings to the institutional scene. The task falls to them of making sure that the hopes and expectations of the peoples of the world are translated into needs. In keeping with their constitutional mission, they will also have to oversee the action of Governments, making sure that they live up their stated international commitments.

Women in Politics 2000

See also NEWS FRONT of 9 June 2000 at www.undp.org

Ms Angela King, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women on the IPU/UN poster "Women in politics 2000"

The poster is the result of a unique institutional partnership between the UN and the IPU. This is the first time that a poster provides a snapshot of women in two of the branches of the State - the Executive and the Legislature. The Beijing Platform for Action places a special emphasis on women in politics. The poster provides a stylistic and approximate representation to show the situation of women in politics around the world. It does not purport to depict political boundaries or frontiers. The composition of Governments is in constant evolution and, to a certain extent, that of Parliaments as well.

Ms Christine Kapatala, Chairperson of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

A substantial number of legislative instruments are now in existence... Parliamentarians have the mandate to hold governments accountable. There is a need for women parliamentarians to play a greater role, which entails pushing for increased opportunities for women to enter Parliament and occupy decision making positions... Concerning the document, I appeal to Parliaments to translate your interest in the topic of women's advancement into specific input to the document. It should be a document which not only looks back over the 5 years since Beijing, but also looks forward to what has to be achieved in the coming 5 years.

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