Elections give people a voice in the democratic process. In Egypt, the electoral process is an essential step in the transition period to consolidate the path to democracy. Within this context, the UNDP Electoral Project will cooperate with the Government of Egypt in the area of elections with a focus on a) strengthening public outreach and voter information on the parliamentary elections; b) strengthening technical and operational capacity of national electoral authorities to conduct 2011 and future elections; c) incorporating lessons learned and best practices of the 2011 elections in the subsequent elections processes; and d) increasing access of women and rural dwellers to their citizenship rights in the 2011 and future elections.
Gender inequalities within electoral processes are common all around the world, strengthened by and connected to the social, cultural and economic barriers facing women in most societies. Gender issues affect all aspects of an election. There are numerous barriers to women’s participation and representation in political and electoral processes. Although women took a very active part in initiating the political transition, their representation at decision-making and elected positions remain low in Egypt, as elsewhere around the world. Causes for low representation are diverse, and vary across regions and countries.
Gender sensitivity of the election management body (EMB) is receiving increasing attention, as it was observed that differential gender needs were often overlooked in analysis, planning and implementation of electoral activities. From their position and responsibilities, EMBs can be pivotal not only in the implementation of electoral processes, but also through the formulation of recommendations to legislators and decision-makers for inclusive participation in electoral processes.
Their internal gender sensitivity and balanced gender representation is a major aspect. Also, EMBs have large experience and knowledge to draw and advise on addressing local constrains to women participations as voters, candidates and electoral administrators. They may also leverage their position as expert and key practitioner to advice on legislation and procedures.
In this context, UNDP Electoral Assistance Project in Egypt is organizing an international conference on gender and electoral administration in December 2014. Several preparatory activities are taking place in the run up to conference, including a study tour and a research on gender sensitivity in electoral administration in Egypt.
The present research on the legal framework of the Electoral Administrative Bodies and gender will showcase good practices and lessons learned from other countries. Presentation of the research during the December conference will provide participants with solid information on comparative experiences, thereby supporting the ongoing dialogue on the establishment of a new permanent EMB in Egypt.
In particular, the paper will list existing gender sensitive EMBs and clarify how gender mainstreaming impacts EMBs performance and work. The paper will also analyze specific case studies, with regards to the relevance, challenges and bottlenecks in the implementation of gender mechanisms within EMBs.
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