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Secretary General Insulza Inaugurates Seminar on Gender Equality and Democratization of the Political System in the Americas

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today participated in the inauguration of the Seminar "Gender parity and democratization of the political system of the Americas," co-organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), UN-Women and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution, in Washington, DC.

The seminar aims to analyze the processes that led to the increase in women's political representation in the Hemisphere; to identify existing barriers to achieving parity; and promote a political agenda for women's rights in the region.

Secretary General Insulza recalled that in recent years violence against women has been a central concern of the OAS, adding that at the suggestion of the CIM Executive Secretary, Carmen Moreno, the issue has been analyzed from different dimensions, which is necessary considering the increasing participation of women in society. "A democracy without women is half a democracy," said Secretary General Insulza, adding that "the state of citizenship of women in the Americas is a barometer of the quality and effectiveness of democracy and governance in the Hemisphere."

He also noted that in recent years the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have been provided with a legal framework which enshrines – to a greater or lesser extent- the political rights of women. He warned, however, that "significant obstacles remain that challenge the quality of our political systems and show the need to strengthen the citizenship rights of women.” "One of the main challenges has to do with the unequal decision making powers between women and men, both in the private and in the public sphere," he added.

The seminar will present the book,The citizenship of women in Americas’ democracies," (Spanish only)( Caribbean Chapter and Canada Chapter)written by 16 authors from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada; and will discuss the publication "Betting on parity: The democratization of political system in Latin America: The cases of Ecuador, Bolivia and Costa Rica"(Spanish only)which was written by the CIM and IDEA-International. About this publication Insulza said that "at the center of these reflections lies the problem of the under-representation of women in bodies that take decisions that affect their lives, as in national parliaments or municipal councils."

In analyzing the barriers that women have to face when asserting their rights, the OAS Secretary General said, "the main threat to the human rights of women in all spheres of life is undoubtedly gender violence.” “Other important obstacles -he continued- for women's political representation are related to the unequal distribution of power within political parties; the difficulties in balancing candidacies between women and men; the limited access of women campaign financing; and the limited coverage provide by mass media to female candidates.”

Regarding the region, the OAS leader said that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of women in elected positions in governments and courts. “For example, in 2000 the average number of women in parliaments in Latin America was 13 percent. In 2013, the percentage of women in parliaments is 22.69 percent," a figure which, he noted, is even higher than the world average, which stands at 21.3 percent.

For her part, the Director of UN Women for Latin America and the Caribbean, Moni Pizani said the seminar aims to take up how "women can participate and lead in decision-making at all levels," one of the priorities of the organization that she represents.

Director Pizani agreed with Secretary General Insulza regarding the progress made by women in the legislative powers of the region, noting that following the Nordic countries, the Western Hemisphere is the region with the highest representation of women in parliaments. "It is also a remarkable advance that, in the Americas, 14 countries have quota laws requiring that a certain percentage of electoral candidates be women," she said, noting that usually female representatives are located between 30 and 40 percent. At the same time, she recalled that in other countries this kind of quota does not exist, which creates a major imbalance in the region. As an example, she explained that in Brazil, according to 2010 data, women make up 8.6 percent of the parliament, while in Costa Rica they represent 38.6 percent of Congress.

The UN official considered in the decision-making places, women make a distinct contribution. "We have other ways of exercising power, with our balanced presence we are able to ensure that not only content, but also the forms, are universal. Women have been introducing different behaviors and leadership styles with more cooperative and participatory components," said Pizani, adding that" the equal participation of women and men is needed to strengthen democracy and is essential in the construction of a more representative, politically compassionate and dynamic society."

More information on the seminar is available on the website of the CIM www.oas.org.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The B-roll of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-351/13