4th  Annual  West  African  Women’s  Policy  Forum  “Win  With  Women:  Best  Practices  in  Promoting  Women’s  Quantitative  and  Qualitative  Representation  in  Decision  Making”  

 [Forum  Communique]  

 

Monrovia,  Liberia  

(September  7  –  8,  2011)  

 

Ms.  Omolara  Balogun  

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Over  60  women  delegates   representing  9  countries   in  West  Africa  convened   in  Monrovia,  Liberia  for  a  2-­‐day  from  7-­‐8  September,  2011  to  discuss  and  discern  strategies  which  aimed  at  providing  women’s  rights  activists,  women  politicians  and  party  activists  a  practical  guide  on  advocating,   lobbying   and   collaborating   to   overcome   existing   challenges   frustrating   equal  representation   of   women   in   decision  making,   and   particularly   establish     the   platform   for  women   political   and   advocates     to   reflect   on   their   previous   works   and   learn   from   the  experiences  of  other  countries  such  as  Rwanda,  Uganda,  South  Africa  etc.  to  develop  a  best  practice  suited  for  West  African  policy  and  political  context.    At   the   end   of   the   2-­‐day   dialogue,   Forty-­‐Four   (44)   practical   recommendations   aimed   at  visibly  increasing  women’s  quantitative  and  qualitative  representation  in  overall  governance  and   ascendancies   to   politically   contested   and   elected   emerged.   These   recommendations  were  directed   forum  conveners,  Economic  Community  of  West  African  States   (ECOWAS),  National   Governments,   Political   Parties,   Electoral   commissions,   Civil   Society   (including  women’s  network  and  groups,  youth  groups  etc.)  and  forum  delegates.    National  Government  

• Should  revisit  and  ensure  that  obsolete  constitutions  that  discriminate  on  the  basis  of  gender   be   abolished   in   national   architecture   and   gender   mainstreaming   laws   that  takes   cognizance   of   women’s   political   inclusion   and   advancement   be   established  within  various  state  governing  structure  across  the  sub-­‐region;    

• Should   create   a   threshold   for   political   parties   candidature   fee   to   enable   women  compete  with  their  male  counterpart  in  party  primary  elections,  in  order  to  increase  women’s  chances  of  emerging  as  party  candidates  to  via  for  political  positions;  and    

• Governments  should  domesticate  ratified  international  Instruments  such  as  CEDAW,  BfPA   and   create   gender   sensitive   laws   that   seek   to   engender   national   electoral  commissions  to  include  50  percent  women  representatives.    

ECOWAS:  • Should  consider  the  inclusion,  active  participation  and  contribution  of  women  to  the  

ongoing   review   process   of   the   “ECOWAS   Protocol   on   Good   Governance   and  Democracy”;    

• Should  grant  recognition  and  support  the  inducted  group  of  trained  and  experienced  West  Africans  who  forms  the  West  African  Women’s  Elections  Observation  Team  (WAWEO)  for  possible  deployment  to  complement  the  work  of  ECOWAS  Elections  Observation  Missions  across  the  sub-­‐region  from  2011  –  2012;  and    

• The  ECOWAS  directorate  on  Gender  and  Civil  Society  should  recognize  and  support  WAWEO  team  in  pursuing  it  mandate  and  be  particularly  granted  necessary  accreditation  from  the  ECOWAS  Political  Affairs  Department  and  the  President  of  the  ECOWAS  Commission;      

   

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 Independent  Electoral  Commission  (NEC)  

• Should   collaborate   with   civil   society   and   other   stakeholders   to   review   existing  electoral   systems   and   laws   to   identify   its   suitability   for   women’s   political  advancement  and  or  limitation;    

• Should   welcome   collaboration   from   civil   society   to   embark   on   mass   review   of  Electoral   laws   in   existence   for   each   country   in   order   to   ascertain   the   degree   of  limitations  to  women’s  fair  and  non-­‐discriminatory  participation  in  politics;  

 • Should  take  specific  steps  to  educate  voters  (particularly  women  who  constitute  over  

50%   of   voters)   in   all   pre,   during   and   post-­‐electoral   activities   such   as   voters’  registration,  vote-­‐counting  procedures  and  result  pronouncements  procedures;  and    

• Should  reserve   the   right   to   sanction  political  parties  who   lacks  and  or  violate  party  laws,   constitutions   and   code   of   conduct   which   seeks   to   promote   adequate  representation  of  women  in  both  primaries  and  general  elections;    

 Political  Parties  

• Female  politicians  who  holds  political  party  membership  in  each  ECOWAS  member  states   should   unanimously   develop   a   clear   ‘Plan   of   Action’   for   sustainable  engagement  with  political  parties  leadership  in  their  respective  countries;    

• Should   ensure   the   formulation   of   party   ‘gender   policy’   which   aimed   at   promoting  equitable   representation,   nomination   and   candidature   of   women   (as   the  underrepresented   group)   and   men   for   all   contestable   positions   within   the   party  structure  including  the  party  leadership  using  the  Tanzania  and  South  African  model;  

 • Should   establish  within   party   constitutions,   gender   sensitive   laws   and   financial/fee  

requirement   that   realistically  offer  women  opportunity   to  vie   and  hold  positions  at  par  with  their  male  counter-­‐part  within  the  party;  

 • Should   avail   female   party   members   the   right   to   establish   and   manage   “Women’s  

Wing”   of   the   party   to   further   discuss   women’s   specific   issues   and   develop   a  mechanism  to  achieve  the  UN  approved  30%  representation  in  decision-­‐making;  and    

• Political  parties  should  put  in  a  place  a  more  transparent  system  open  and  receptive  to  women  demands  and  projects  women’s  candidature  in  party  primaries.  

 Women’s  Movement  

• Female   politicians   and   supporters   should   adopt   practical   strategies   to   significantly  increase   their   friends-­‐raising   portfolio   in   order   to   gather  more   human   support   for  campaign  processes  and  mobilisation;  

 • Should   sensitize   and  educate  other  women  particularly   grassroots   and   community-­‐

based  women’s  groups  on  the  benefits  and  limitations  of  Affirmative  action;    

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• Should  unanimously  identify  and  enlist  all  resources  required  to  run  an  effective  and  successful  political  campaign  in  an  holistic  manner;  

 • Should   increase   engagement   with   traditional/religious   leaders   and   institutions   in  

order   to   gather   grass   rooted   supports   from   such   crucial   constituents   relevant   to  contemporary  political  determinations;    

• Should   institute   “girls   club”   in   their   respective   countries/contexts   with   the   aim   to  inform   younger   girls   on   their   right   to   equal   participation   in   political   activities,  ascendancy   to   leadership  positions,   and  also   serve   as   a   succession  plan  mechanism  for  advancement  of  women’s  development  agenda;      

• Should  cease  the  opportunity  of  the  ongoing  constitutional  review  process  in  Nigeria  and  Ghana  to  push  for  a  minimum  inclusion  of  30%  of  women’s  overall  participation  in  all  levels  of  governance  and  decision  structure;      

• Should   engage   private   sectors/corporate   entities,   individual   philanthropist   in  mobilisation  resource  for  political  participation;  and  

 • Should  support   the  participation  of  young  women  in   future   forums  considering  the  

absence   of   younger   women   in   the   forum   since   inception   in   2008;   delegates   and  participating   organisations   are   encouraged   to   finance   the   participation   of   younger  woman.  

 Civil  Society  

• Should  support  the  capacity  building  of   female  politicians   in  electoral   laws,  code  of  conduct,  timing,  and  how  to  run  effective  and  successful  election  campaigns;    

• Should   research   on   the   effect   of   electoral   systems   on   women’s   participation   in  politics   in  West   Africa   and   should   disseminate   the   result   to   increase   stakeholders  knowledge  including  women’s  group,  networks  and  movements;      

• WACSI  as  a  civil   society   training   institute  should  design  more   trainings   targeted  at  enriching  women  participation   in  political  governance,  engagement   in  political  and  policy   formulation   processes;   civic   education;   effective   public   speaking;   personal  productivity  skills;  leadership  skills  and  self-­‐confidence  building;  

 Forum  Conveners  (WACSI  and  WIPSEN-­‐Africa)  

• Should  develop  practical  communication  strategy  for  future  correspondences  on  the  forum.  Should  explore  the  use  of  social  media  platform,  database,  listserve  and  other  communication   mechanisms   to   convey   information   across   to   all   past   and   present  delegates  on  various  topical  issue  bothering  on  women’s  development  agenda  in  the  sub-­‐regions  and  beyond;    

• Should  encourage  forum  delegates  to  self-­‐finance  their  participation  commencing  for  the   5th   West   African   Women’s   Policy   Forum   (scheduled   for   September   2012   in  Freetown,   Sierra   Leone)   as   a   mean   to   leverage   donor   funding   and   sustain   the  continuous  organisation  of  the  forum;      

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 • Should   collaborate  with   concerned   stakeholders   and   experts  within   civil   society   to  

commission  a  research  that  seek  to  “Review  existing  electoral  laws  and  political  party   constitutions   constraining   women’s   political   advancement   in   West  Africa”;    

• Should  ensure  an  equal  and  significant  representation  of  delegate  for  the  15  ECOWAS  member   states   in   future   forum,   in   order   satisfy   its   legitimacy   and   validate  communiqué,   recommendations   and   decisions   made   on   behalf   of   West   African  women;    

• Should   liaise   with   hosting   country/   local   partners   to   schedule   meeting   with   key  policymaker   including   president,   minister   of   gender/women’s   affairs   annually   as   a  mean  of  profiling,  fund/human  raising  and  media  coverage  strategies;    

• Should   work   with   women   movement   to   create   a   framework   that   promote   the  transparency  and  independency  of  electoral  laws  and  bodies  in  the  sub-­‐region;      

• Should  partner  with  participating  delegates  and  organisation  promoting  what  women  are  doing  in  their  respective  countries  on  a  case-­‐by-­‐case  basis;  and    

• Should   build   a   database   of   women   leaders   in   the   sub-­‐region   including   grassroots,  elites,   experts,  politician,   corporate   representative   for   accessibility   and   involvement  into  various  strategic  women’s  agenda  and  discussion.    

Development  Partners  • International   and   local   funding   agencies   should   design   special   grant   scheme   to  

support  women’s  candidature  in  politics;      

Joint  Recommendation  • Research  should  be  commission  to  review  and  evaluate  the  available  political  parties  

constitutions,  and   identify  how  each  have  considered  women’s  advancement  within  the  party  structures;    

• Stakeholders   including   forum   delegates,   gender   experts   and   women’s   movements  across   the   sub-­‐region   should   unanimously   promote   ‘Gender   Equality’   and   Not    ‘Gender   Parity’,   which   looks   beyond   numerical   representation   and   participants   of  women   in   political   governance   rather   than   mere   parity   of   men   and   women   in  number;    

• Government   and   National   Electoral   commissions   should   revisit   and   redraft   anti-­‐women  laws  debarring  women  from  contesting  for  certain  positions  within  political  parties  and  selected    for  certain  leadership  position  within  the  commission;        

• Governments,  international  organisations,  civil  society  and  others  should  exert  more  effort   at   observing   the   injunctions   of   the   Beijing   Platform   for   Action   after   fifteen-­‐years  and  CEDAW  after  thirty-­‐years;    

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• Government,  electoral  commissions  and  political  parties  to  reach  a  consensus  on  how  to  provide  for  affirmation,  particularly  when  proportional  representation  system  are  more   favourable   to   women’s   participation   in   electoral   processes   and   eventual  elections  to  political  positions;  and    

• Political  parties,  national  governments,  local  foundations  and  international  financial  institutions   should   allocate   specific   sums   of   money   to   support   women’s   political  campaigns.  

 On  behalf  of  2011  forum  delegates:        ……………………………….               ……………………………….  Nana  A.  Afadzinu  (Ms.)             Leymah  Gbowee  (Ms.)  Executive  Director               Executive  Director,    WACSI                 WIPSEN-­‐Africa        WACSI  and  WIPSEN-­‐Africa  acknowledge  and  appreciate  the  support  provided  by  the  African  Women’s  Development   Fund   (AWDF),   the   International  Women’s   Programme   of   the  Open  Society   Institute   (IWP-­‐OSI),   the  Open   Society   Initiative   for  West   Africa   (OSIWA),  Daphne  Foundation,  Humanity  United  and  IBIS-­‐Liberia,  towards  the  4th  West  African  Women’s  Policy  Forum.