Issue no.: 1 | September 2008

Clippings

Afganisthan

New Party to Focus On Women's Rights

Afghanistan, February 2008: Nazari, an Afghan parliamentarian, is the driving force behind the country's first political party dedicated to women's rights and issues. She launched National Need on February 19 at a ceremony in Kabul, saying the party hopes to put women's rights at the forefront of the national political debate. It intends to run in the next parliamentary elections, likely in three years' time. Some of Nazari's fellow deputies and officials in Kabul welcomed the creation of the country's first-ever women's political party. Some called it a step forward toward greater democracy and recognition of women's rights.

Afganistan, May 2008: One year after her illegal suspension, the Afghan parliament should reinstate Malalai Joya to office, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 21, 2007, the lower house of the Afghan parliament, the Wolesi Jirga, voted to suspend Malalai Joya, a female MP elected from Farah province. Malalai was accused of insulting the parliament and suspended until the end of her term in 2009. Malalai’s suspension occurred after she appeared in a television interview comparing the parliament to an animal stable. Malalai told Human Rights Watch that her remarks were edited out of context. She said that her statement divided parliamentarians into two groups – one of which was working to uphold democratic principles while the other was undermining them, thereby serving the Afghan population even less than animals in a stable. Malalai has since received numerous death threats by phone and “night letters” (posted threats) and now lives in hiding. She receives no security protection from parliament or the government

---

Bangladesh

Women submit nominations for KCC polls

Bangladesh, July 2008: Females contesting for general posts in the elections to the Khulna City Corporation account for 2.14 per cent of the candidates who submitted nomination papers. Two hundred and eighty-one candidates have submitted nomination papers for the positions of a mayor and 31 councillors; only six of them are women, contesting the elections in the posts of general councillors, according to Khulna divisional election office.

Women in politics

Bangladesh, June 2008: Women have been more politically stable in the last two decades. A quota has ensured women's presence in the local government and National Parliament. Among women politicians, the older group entered politics through social work, while some among them and the new generation have emerged from student politics. Despite many odds, statistics and analyses reveal a slowly growing trend towards women's political participation. However, they face an ominous challenge. There has also been a growing influence of money in Bangladesh politics, particularly in electoral politics and in guarding/promoting spheres of influence. This acts as a further constraint on women's political participation since fewer women have access to financial resources. It is very difficult for women to work effectively in this system unless such practices are eradicated.

---

India

Obstacles for Indian bill promoting female MPs

India, July 2008: In India, the world's largest democracy, as few as nine per cent of parliamentarians are women. A bill about to be tabled seeks to redress the gender imbalance by reserving one third of all seats for female politicians. But it's likely to face serious obstacles. A bill due for debate in the next few months proposes affirmative action to boost female representation. If passed, one third of all Indian MPs will be women. Supporters of the bill say a sizeable block of female politicians will push gender issues to the fore. Vijayalakshmi Prasanna is a member of the Commission for Women.

Fewer women are re-elected due to de-reservation: study

India, April 25, 2008: The rotation of seats reserved for women in the Panchayati Raj institutions should be discontinued as only 15 per cent of women are re-elected from a de-reserved seat, an official study has suggested. Reservation is an opportunity to bring women into the mainstream. It provides them with a platform to interact and enhance their image. But it becomes more meaningful when they can sustain their political activity through re-election, the study “Elected Women Representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions” conducted for the Union Panchayati Raj Ministry by AC NeilsenORG-Marg has said.

BJP to give 33% quota for women in party posts

India, January 2008: In one voice and with a thunderous applause, the national council of the Bharatiya Janata Party approved an amendment to the party constitution that will give its women workers 33 per cent reservation right from the “mandal” to all levels. However, there is no unanimity on giving the same percentage of reservation for women in central office-bearers and the highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board.

---

Nepal

PM directs Home Minister to find out Anandi Devi's whereabouts

Nepal, May 2008: Anandi Devi Singh, the chairperson of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi), was "forcefully taken away" from her residence in Bhaktapur, allegedly by industry minister Shayam Sundar Gupta. 81-year-old Anandi Devi, the widow of NSP founder president Gajendra Narayan Singh, has been a victim of a vicious feud between the rival factions of the party ever since she was nominated as the figurehead president of the party. She is not active in politics.

Encouraging Number of Women in Constituent Assembly

Nepal, June 2008: The recent elections for Constituent Assembly in Nepal were transformational in ways more than one. It not only marked the end of oppressive monarchy and ushering in of a republic and a democracy, but also paved way for increasing role of women in governance. Representatives from the Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits and other indigenous groups were present when Nepal’s newly elected constituent assembly held its very first meeting in late May. In addition, despite concerns before the election that women members might not reach the 33 percent ratio stipulated by the interim constitution, 30 women won seats via the first-past-the-post ballot. The proportional representation ballot allocated 161 seats for women, making the total number 191, which is 33.21 percent of the 575 elected representatives.

Youth political activist faces brutality

Nepal, July 2008: Young Communist League (YCL), a youth wing of CPN- Maoist, abducted Sangina Rajak, an activist of CPN-UML’s youth wing, in Kathmandu on the charge that she is involved in CPN –UML activities. “They tied my hands, blind fold me and beat me up brutally”, said Rajak at a press meet. She said that during the torture, YCL warned her against working for UML. They forced her to leave UML and join the Maoist soon.

---

Pakistan

More women in Pakistan polls signals 'political freedom'

Pakistan, February 2008: For the first time in Pakistan's history, an increasing number of women stood for elections in polls that also saw women coming out to vote in larger numbers - an encouraging trend signalling "freedom for women in politics". While at few polling booths, women were barred from casting their votes, in other areas they polled in large numbers with encouragement from local jirgas or elder's assembly. In comparison to 1988, that only saw 27 women running for the general seats, this year the number increased by more than six times - to 168.

---

Sri Lanka

LTTE woman military leader Selvi dies mysteriously

Sri Lanka, June 2008: The report about the sudden death of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) woman military leader whom they call Lt. Col. Selvi came as another body blow in weakening the already tottering military machine of the LTTE, immediately after the demise of “Brigadier Balraj”, military analysts said. Sri Lankan Tamil sources said the woman leader was so important to the Tamil Tiger outfit, the usually elusive Madhivadini, the wife of LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was officially representing her husband at the funeral despite their security concerns for the first family of the Tigers.