Elections

Women, War, Peace and Elections


NEW: International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics

  

Introduction

Women’s equal participation in political life, as voters, candidates and members of electoral committees, plays a crucial role in the advancement of women and the reconstruction of society following armed conflict. Universally, women remain underrepresented in political and decision-making positions, which results in the perpetuation of policies and practices that do not serve the needs of women and men equally. This disparity is especially dangerous in post-conflict settings where the voices of women must be heard in order to ensure equitable and sustainable reconstruction. In the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), more than 180 governments agreed that "Achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making will provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning".

 

Women’s equal participation in decision-making is essential for justice and democracy and is a necessary component for women’s interests to be taken into account after factions have laid down their arms. During conflict, women often gain valuable and relevant leadership and organizing skills, which can be translated into policy-making roles in the post-conflict period. However, women and men have differential access to resources, education, formal political parties and the media. As a result, women candidates face particular challenges when running for elected office. In addition, women candidates face discrimination and even reprisals for stepping out of traditional gender roles, even if non-traditional behaviour became the norm during wartime. 

 

In most countries, elections are planned a few years after the signing of a peace agreement to give citizens a chance to choose the leaders that will take them into the next phase of reconstruction. Post-conflict elections can be an opportunity for women to express newly found political impact or it can be a time where advances made during conflict and post-conflict periods can be stripped away. If the participation of women and the integration of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision-making continue to be lacking, the goals of equality, development, and peace cannot be attained. Women face particular barriers at the polls due to coercion by male relatives, threats or intimidation and less access to information and education. In post-conflict settings, when the foundations of a new society are being built, surmounting such barriers is of vital importance if new constitutions and legislation are to reflect the experiences, insights and needs of women.

Challenges

The following differences, stated by the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women and the Department of Political Affairs in a report on Enhancing Women's Participation in Electoral Processes in Post-Conflict Countries, 20 February 2004, are likely to impact negatively on women's participation in electoral processes in post-conflict situations:

  • There is an expectation that elections will build or consolidate the peace, and this is often seen as the key requirement. As a consequence, the “success” of an election may be judged not so much on the basis of the criteria, which normally apply in democratic countries, but on the extent to which it has contributed to the political process of ending conflict.
  • Military involvement with electoral processes is likely to arise. When the police have a high profile role, where there is no shortage of either recent combatants or weapons and where there are still groups committed to violent means, the security climate is likely to be and obstacle to the participation of women.
  • Political parties tend either to be derived from movements associated with a political struggle, or to be small, disorganized bodies, often based around regions, tribes, clans, religious groups, language groups or high profile individuals, and sometimes amounting to little more than patronage networks.
  • There are large numbers of displaced persons either within or outside the country. These groups typically include predominant numbers of women and children. The existence of residency requirements in many electoral laws gives rise to a significant risk that they will be disenfranchised.
  • There may be a history of human rights violations, and the judiciary may be weak, poorly trained, corrupt, politicized, representing, in the worst cases, a system of rule by law rather than rule of law. In such situation, the ability of women to obtain proper protection of their legitimate rights is likely to be severely limited.
  • Public campaigning tends to proceed through meetings, rallies, and marches which may be difficult for women to attend.
  • The reality of post-conflict mission funding is that international resources often arrive late or are insufficient. The challenge is to ensure that women's participation is seen as a core activity of the post-conflict mission, and not merely a desirable soft option to be cut when “hard choices” have to be made.

International Organizations & Instruments

The Beijing Platform for Action calls for a 30% minimum representation of women in decision-making bodies. more…

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): more…

 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA): more…

The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs: more…

UNIFEM Action & Analysis

 UNIFEM programmes promote women's leadership in all sectors, with the goal of giving women an equal voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives and choices. Two key priorities characterize UNIFEM's support for women's leadership:

  • Peace and Security: Strengthening the gender focus in conflict prevention and early warning mechanisms, improving protection and assistance for women affected by conflict by making women's and gender perspectives central to peace processes, and supporting gender justice in post-conflict peace-building.
  • Gender Justice: Women's empowerment and equal participation in leadership and political decision-making positions are necessary elements for ensuring that gender equality is integrated into policymaking and constitutional, electoral and judicial reform.

UNIFEM’s commitment to increasing women's opportunities to influence the direction of society and to remove obstacles to women's access to power by providing trainings, regional exchanges, and support for constituency building. UNIFEM also advocates for gender responsive legislation and constitutional revisions that create pathways to empower women and their organizations. Results of such initiatives can be seen in areas ranging from national development plans to decentralization, across the globe.

Tools & Checklists

  • A Guide to Women’s Voting Rights in Arabic (National Democratic Institute): more...
  • Enhancing the Role of Women in Post-Conflict Electoral Processes (DPKO/DFS-DPA): more...
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)/ Participation and Election Processes: more...

  • iKNOW Politics: The International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics: more...

  • Official documents from the Expert Group Meeting on “Enhancing Women’s Participation in Electoral Processes in Post-Conflict Countries”, held in Glen Cove New York, 19-22 January 2004: more...

  • UNDP Project on Governance in the Arab Region: Good Governance Practices to Enhance and Deepen Building Women’s Constituencies: Lessons-Learnt and Future Steps: more...

  • Women and Elections: Guide to promoting the participation of women in elections, OSAGI and the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs, June 2005: more...

  • Women’s Campaign Manual, Nairobi, Kenya, 1997 (NDI): more...

  • Women’s Candidate Training Programme Trainer’s Manual, Nepal, 2000: more...

UN Documents

  • Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: more...

  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women (CEDAW): more...

  • Convention on the Political Rights of Women: more...

  • Electoral Support and Equality between Women and Men: more...

  • How UNDP Supports Parliaments: more...

  • Increasing Women’s Participation in Government: What Strategies Would Work Best for Afghanistan? more...

  • Report on the Elections of the Commune Council: more...

  • Security Council resolution 1325 (31 October 2000): more...

  • United Nations Volunteers and Electoral Assistance: more...

  • Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace Toolkit: Chapter on Democracy and Governance

Independent Experts' Assessment & Recommendations

The Independent Experts' Assessment on Women, War, Peace and Elections and the accompanying recommendations can be accessed in this archive:  Elections Archive