OSCE Mission to Skopje helps women participate more actively in politics

SKOPJE, 30 May 2006 - Achievements of OSCE-supported projects aimed at increasing the participation of women in decision-making processes and bodies were discussed today in Skopje at the conference "Women Can Do It II- 2006 Parliamentary Elections."

The conference was the second phase of a project initiated by the non-governmental network Union of Women Organisations (UWOM) in co-operation with the Labour and Social Policy Ministry's Unit for Promotion of Gender Equality and supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

The project trained 240 women from the 12 main political parties. The participants are potential candidates for the Parliamentary Elections in July.

UWOM successfully lobbied for the inclusion of a gender quota provision in the Election Code, adopted in March 2006, which should help to ensure a more balanced representation on electoral lists.

"The OSCE Mission welcomes the adoption of a unified Election Code that includes a provision to improve the gender balance of party candidate lists. I encourage all political parties to respect this provision and ensure gender balance in their lists," said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje. "The gender quota provision is also fully consistent with the OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality."

Thanks to the project, political parties now pay more attention to gender equality in their election programmes. Different parties have included in their platforms policies on family violence, health care and education for women, equal employment opportunities and the support of female entrepreneurs.

"Through this project we continue to encourage and motivate the political parties, so they can properly represent the interests of voters of both genders," said Savka Todorovska, the President of UWOM.