Enhancing The Role of Women

UNDP-Yemen Electoral Support Programme

Global Practice Meeting on Electoral Systems and Processes

Manila, Philippines15-18 October 2004

Background

1990: Unification

1993, 1997, 2003: Three multi-party Parliamentary elections

1999: First Presidential elections

2001: Local Council elections

2001: Establishment of the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referenda (SCER)

2006: Local Councils and Presidential

UN Assistance

UN Electoral Assistance in Yemen: – 1997 Parliamentary – 1999 Presidential – 2001 Local Councils

2003: UNDP/UN Support to 2003 Parliamentary elections

2004 - 2006: UNDP support to local councils and Presidential elections 2006

Strategic Areas of Support

Electoral Administration Voter Registration ProcessDecentralization Process of the

SCER (333 Districts and 22 governorates)

Training of Registration Workers and Polling Station Officials

Voter Education Campaign

Women Voters

Total population estimated at 18 million in 2000 (Yemen MDGR 2003 -

http://www.mpic-yemen.org/dsp/mdgs/PERFACE-2.pdf)

1997 2003

Registered Voters

62% of 5.6 ml.

76% of 8 ml.

Women voters total 42% of electorate

1.7 million(30%)

3.4 million(41%)

(74.4% of reg. female voters)

Challenges of Voters Education

Campaigns

Gender Disparity – Registered voters– Women’s participation

Illiteracy Rate NHDR (2000) - http://www.mpic-yemen.org/dsp/humandev.htm– Adult illiteracy: 47.3%– Female illiteracy: 61.5%

Voters Education: Means and Channels

Involve Civil Society (not political parties) to conduct civic and voter education activities;

Publications, printed material, banners, Large scale advertising even on “dabbabs”;

SMS messaging

Info tent: Special times/days were allocated exclusively for women

Voters Education: Means and Channels

Mobile Van: Were mounted with special panels depicting on one side a woman voting and on the other side a man;

TV: One programme was customized for targeting women

Voters Education: Means and Channels

Women as Candidates

Only 10 Women candidates out of 1, 393 Out of 22 political parties only 4 put forward

female candidates Of the 9 members of SCER – none are women Of 60 supervisory committees, none had

women Of the 19 trainers, none were women Out of 31 Basic Committees, 3 are women Women were present at the level of sub-

committees - Segregation requires female

registration and election committees

Developments for 2006 Elections

A new Department for women’s issues is being established in the SCER

The quota proposal was developed by SCER in collaboration with political parties and the assistance of NDI - decree is submitted to Parliament for approval

Lessons learned from Phase I

Voter Education efforts must link women’s participation with religious instructions in order to counter unsubstantiated claims that female are banned from political participation by religion;

More understanding of women’s rights;

Further Capacity building of Yemeni NGOs

Involvement of Political Parties

THANK YOU