The Women Development Ministry has proposed recommendations to achieve 40 percent women participation in political process to ensure virtual presence of women in elective bodies in accordance with the National Plan of Action.
The ministry aimed at removing all barriers, which stand in the way of women's participation in political processes, create conditions in which women can become eligible to hold public office, including the highest on merit and without discrimination.
It also proposed the recommendations to promote involvement of elected representatives in the planning, implementation and supervision of development programmes and projects, emphasising that the government should reaffirm and widely publicise the official policy regarding the equal participation of women in the political process.
It said the mass media should be used to enlighten the general public to enhance the role of women in national policies to integrate women on a large scale in the political process and promote leadership qualities among women.
Special efforts should be initiated both at the government and non-governmental levels to educate the female electorate on political issues and activate their participation in political empowerment, it added.
The ministry said manifestos of all political parties must include programmes for full participation of women in development and nation-building activities to give a reasonable proportion of party offices to women.
All political parties should seek maximum enrolment of women membership and political party that does not have women membership should not be allowed to contest the elections, it suggested, saying all active political parties should have in due course women's wings with properly elected organisational structure.
Subject committees dealing with education, health, and social welfare in the National assembly should include 50 percent women members whereas other committees must have an adequate number of women.
The ministry has proposed that the Election Commission should appoint women at different levels in their organisation to ensure that the rights of the women electorate are adequately protected during the electioneering polling, saying the Election Commission should be authorised to conduct local bodies' elections and immediate steps should be taken expedite this process so that the local bodies elections can be properly conducted.
It also suggested that prompt and strong actions under the existing penal provisions should be taken against the parties, candidates, pseudo-religious, and other categories of individuals and bodies acting to restrain women from voting or creating difficulties in the exercise of their right of franchise.
The ministry proposed further that wherever the Election Commission finds evidence of large scale non-participation of women in voting it should declare the election null and void.
In this regard, the efficient updating of the electoral rolls will be given a high priority, and cross party consultation of all parliamentary and elective bodies, as well as groups should be held annually to review the state of women representation and their political participation.
The ministry suggested 5 percent increase in Local Council's budget allocated to women councillors to cover the expenditures of concrete projects and ensure the establishment of multi-purpose women centres with qualified staff in each village in co-operation with the departments concerned to provide facilities for adult literacy, vocational training, nutrition and health education, day-care centres, women's rights to education, legal aid and recreation.
The ministry also proposed that women councillors should form 'panchayats'/committees at the village level to assist the supervision on women issues regarding primary education, MCH centres, multi-purpose centres and other women's development programmes.
It suggested that local councils should advance loans to women from the special funds for small projects like poultry, gardening, sericulture, etc and its repayment should be made easy, adding the local councils should establish marketing centres where products prepared by women are placed for sale, eliminating the middleman as they may also ensure quality control.
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