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"id": 976057,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kihika",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13216,
"legal_name": "Susan Wakarura Kihika",
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"content": "the second woman to occupy this position in the IPU’s history. This experience shows that there is political will. However, we still have a long way to go, based on data collated by the IPU. Mr. Speaker Sir, 2020 is a watershed moment. This is because we are celebrating 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPA), which provides a roadmap for gender equality. In 1995, the States that were gathered in Beijing committed to achieving gender equality in political decision making. 25 years later, we have gained 13.6 per cent points in women’s representation in parliaments, moving from 11.3 per cent to 24.9 per cent overall. We haven’t even reached 30 per cent, as intermediate target. From a regional point of view, the political momentum since the 1990s has led the Americans to make substantial progress. The region has reached over 31 per cent of women parliamentarians on average in national parliaments, up from 13 per cent in 1995. Europe comes second, just below 30 per cent. The Sub-Saharan Africa is third, with 24.4 per cent women parliamentarians. This is something to be proud of since 25 years ago, Africa had less than 10 per cent women Members of Parliaments (MPs). Mr. Speaker Sir, the Middle East and North Africa region has made spectacular progress, moving from over 4 per cent in 1995 to more than 16 per cent in 2020. Since the mid-2000s, no country in the region restricts women’s right to vote or stand for elections any longer. After Qatar had women appointed to Parliament in 2017, the region no longer has Parliaments without women members. As regards women Speakers, they are now 1 in 5; whereas in 1995, they were 1 in 10. Today, among 57 women Speakers, 16 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. That is the same figure as in Europe. Progress is real but too slow; we need to move faster. Mr. Speaker Sir, since Beijing, the IPU has made it clear that genuine democracy requires gender equality in representation and in effective decision-making power. Today, we know that gender equality in decision-making is also key to achieving sustainable development and peace. Therefore, there should be no more talk about why it matters, but rather how we get there. Mr. Speaker Sir, in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), positive measures have been adopted in every single continent, both at the level of political parties and in electoral laws. 130 countries have some type of gender quota in place. These measures aim to redress the historical discrimination that has led to women’s under representation in politics, such as limited access to resources, lesser decision-making power within families and society; and gender stereotypes that confine women to the domestic sphere. Mr. Speaker Sir, while we need to address these underlying causes of women’s under-representation, there are measures that can have immediate effect and increase the number of women in political leadership. At the IPU, we have supported parliaments to enact legislation that promotes women’s participation. These measures help break down mental barriers, both to the public and to women themselves, who have role models to aspire to. Mr. Speaker Sir, in spite of this, gender quotas should not become another glass ceiling for women by targeting a minimum goal or critical mass of 30 per cent. For the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}