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News Update: Supporting women's political participation in Haiti

UNDEF has previously reported on the efforts of UNIFEM, the Gender Unit of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Training Center for Commitment, Responsibility and Capacity Building (CERAC) and Fanm Yo La to support women’s participation in politics.

The efforts of the recently appointed electoral council of Haiti to draft a new electoral law posed a unique opportunity to integrate a gendered perspective. Fanm Yo La organized an alliance of women’s organizations to carry out a workshop on 28 February 2008. A common document was produced, making recommendations to ensure that the electoral law actively encourages the participation of women. Among the recommendations which are presented on 07 March to the women’s caucus of the Haitian Parliament were the following:

Engendering the text to send a strong message that women have to be considered as citizens, voters and candidates;

Integrating temporary measures to encourage increased participation of women, such as reducing costs for women candidates, thereby addressing one of the key obstacles to women’s effective participation in the public arena;

Integrating an incentive for political parties who present a slate composed of 30% women - while not labeled as a quota this is considered an intermediary measure which may help a move toward the adoption of a formal quota system in the future.

Conducting training in gender analysis for elected officials was another pillar of the project. The training on gender responsive government included a workshop on South-South linkages. During those two days, an overview of regional activities and linkages between gender and good governance was presented, drawing from UNIFEM’s experience. Following the workshop, a training module for gender concepts and good governance was produced by Fanm Yo La in cooperation with national consultants. Materials were used to hold two workshops for 50 elected officials from local and municipal governments. The remaining workshops in other parts of the country will integrate the recommendations and comments made by the participants of the first two events.

Capacity building for Haitian women was conducted by combining workshops and coaching sessions, thus focusing on the individual needs of the participants. The number of women running for office in Haiti legislative elections has more than tripled from the 2000 general elections to the elections in 2006. Amongst other female candidates, six of eight elected female senators or deputies have participated in the program to strengthen their capacities.

The Book “A City in the Sand” gives a closer insight into this part of the project and outlines the stories of some participants and the project’s impact on their political career. It is published by Nava Almog and Nadine Puechguirbal and is available both in English and in French.

A City in the Sand (English, pdf)

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