Recommendations on women’s political participation

Gender thematic group created by the initiative of the Armenian offices of the UN and OSCE having operated since 2011, uniting representatives of state, international and public structures and experts, has made a number of suggestions on enhancing women’s political participation. Most of the recommendations refer to the amendments of the Electoral Code.  They were submitted to the Council on ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men attached to Prime Minster. It should be mentioned that these recommendations had been submitted before the publication of the drat of new Elecoral code, but they have not lost their relevance as the approaches have not been changed.

Recommendations on women’s political participation

Gender Thematic Group members:

–         Discussing the issue of increasing women’s participation in electoral processes;

–         Taking as a basis the laws and documents on ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men functional in the Republic of Armenia;

–         Given Armenia’s commitments in the frames of a number of international documents in terms of full realization of women’s political rights and at decision-making levels, including ensuring of a certain level of representation of women in elected bodies;

–         Analyzing the experience of all the parliamentary and local elections in Armenia since 1995 and based on the results of research on women’s political participation conducted in the country;

–         Having in mind that in the context of the enforced Constitutional reforms the Electoral Code amendment process has been already commenced:

Come up with a number of recommendations aimed at increasing the representation of women in elected bodies:

1. Amend the provisions stipulated under Article 84.3 and 84.9 of the draft of the RA Electoral Code on nomination of MP candidates under the proportional system for the National Assembly, which is:

–         ” … The number of persons of each sex shall not exceed 80% of any integer group of five candidates starting from the second number of the electoral list (2-6, 2-11, 2-16, and so on up to the end of the list) of a political party or alliance of political parties and of each party included in an alliance for the National Assembly election under the proportional electoral system…”,

Having the following wording instead:

–         ” … The number of persons of each sex shall not exceed 70% of any integer group of three candidates starting from the first number of the electoral list (1-3, 1-6, 1-9 and so on up to the end of the list) of a political party or alliance of political parties and of each party included in an alliance for the National Assembly election under the proportional electoral system…”,

2. Provide mechanisms that guarantee the keeping of quotas at all stages of the electoral process and in the de facto elected body, particularly providing the following provision in the Electoral Code or stipulating by other procedures:

“In case of self-withdrawal of a candidate enjoying quotas in the political party lists the next candidate enjoying the quota in the list should take that place.”

3. Modify also the current provision provided under Article 129.2 of the RA Electoral Code on the nomination and registration of candidates for the Yerevan City Council, which is:

“… The number of persons of each sex shall not exceed 80% of any integer group of five candidates starting from the second number of the electoral list (2-6, 2-11, 2-16, and so on up to the end of the list) of a political party or alliance of political parties and of each party included in an alliance … “

Having the following wording instead:

“… The number of persons of each sex shall not exceed 70% of any integer group of three candidates starting from the first number of the electoral list (1-3, 1-6, 1-9 and so on up to the end of the list) of a political party or alliance of political parties and of each party included in an alliance … “

4. Transfer to proportional or mixed electoral system during Local self-governance elections of large urban or consolidated communities stipulating the following provisions:

–         “the number of each sex shall not exceed 70% in the party lists”, and

–         “ In case of self-withdrawal of a candidate enjoying quotas in the political party lists the next candidate enjoying the quota in the list should take that place”. 

5. The above-mentioned amendments to the Electoral Code should be combined with other supportive measures aimed at political empowerment of women, including:

–         Introduce mechanisms to encourage women’s empowerment within the political parties thus contributing to development of relevant policies and women’s human resources;

–         Roll-out and apply the positive experience and success models gained by NGOs in terms of identifying women leaders and involving them in politics, developing skills and abilities of women in electoral processes and supporting them;

–         Exclude sex discrimination in the political field and contribute to overcoming the negative stereotypes regarding women’s political participation through active involvement of the media.