Partnerships With Female Parliamentarians
PRESS STATEMENT
71/06
Thursday, 12 October 2006
Partnerships with Female Pacific Parliamentarians for the Advancement of Gender Issues
Partnerships between Pacific female parliamentarians and regional and international organisations are to be strengthened in order to promote advancement of women's political participation and gender equity in the region.
This was a conclusion of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and UNIFEM Workshop on a Parliamentary Perspective on Gender Equality in the Pacific Region, held this month in Wellington, New Zealand.
The workshop was hosted by the Speaker of the Parliament of New Zealand and brought together 19 female parliamentarians from six Forum Island Countries (FICs), women MPs from New Zealand, resource persons and development partners.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Gender Issues Adviser, Ms Samantha Hung, attended the workshop with Forum Secretariat Good Governance Adviser, Mr Henry Ivarature.
Ms Hung and Mr Ivarature gave participants an update on the Pacific Plan, its gender-related initiatives and their relevance to regional good governance.
They commended the effort by organisers and participants.
" The event was a positive step towards engaging female parliamentarians to be advocates for women in the region through their legislatures and to advance women's participation in politics, " says Ms Hung.
" I was greatly encouraged by the clear resolve that was reflected at the workshop to see the CPA collaborating more formally with the Forum Secretariat, UNIFEM Pacific, and other regional organisations, to advance such initiatives. "
Currently, women comprise an average of four per cent of FIC Parliaments, with five FICs currently having no women in parliament. This compares with a global average of 16 per cent and an internationally agreed target of 30 per cent.
" The Pacific has the lowest rates of women's parliamentary representation in the world, " says Ms Hung.
" If we are to achieve the 30 per cent target that FICs have committed to internationally, urgent measures need to be taken to fast track women into parliament.
" The region can not afford to waste the valuable contributions and perspectives of women in decision-making to respond to development challenges. "
(Ends)
71/06
Thursday, 12 October 2006
Partnerships with Female Pacific Parliamentarians for the Advancement of Gender Issues
Partnerships between Pacific female parliamentarians and regional and international organisations are to be strengthened in order to promote advancement of women's political participation and gender equity in the region.
This was a conclusion of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and UNIFEM Workshop on a Parliamentary Perspective on Gender Equality in the Pacific Region, held this month in Wellington, New Zealand.
The workshop was hosted by the Speaker of the Parliament of New Zealand and brought together 19 female parliamentarians from six Forum Island Countries (FICs), women MPs from New Zealand, resource persons and development partners.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Gender Issues Adviser, Ms Samantha Hung, attended the workshop with Forum Secretariat Good Governance Adviser, Mr Henry Ivarature.
Ms Hung and Mr Ivarature gave participants an update on the Pacific Plan, its gender-related initiatives and their relevance to regional good governance.
They commended the effort by organisers and participants.
" The event was a positive step towards engaging female parliamentarians to be advocates for women in the region through their legislatures and to advance women's participation in politics, " says Ms Hung.
" I was greatly encouraged by the clear resolve that was reflected at the workshop to see the CPA collaborating more formally with the Forum Secretariat, UNIFEM Pacific, and other regional organisations, to advance such initiatives. "
Currently, women comprise an average of four per cent of FIC Parliaments, with five FICs currently having no women in parliament. This compares with a global average of 16 per cent and an internationally agreed target of 30 per cent.
" The Pacific has the lowest rates of women's parliamentary representation in the world, " says Ms Hung.
" If we are to achieve the 30 per cent target that FICs have committed to internationally, urgent measures need to be taken to fast track women into parliament.
" The region can not afford to waste the valuable contributions and perspectives of women in decision-making to respond to development challenges. "
(Ends)
