Kinshasa, 12 April 2010 - The Cadre permanent de concertation de la femme congolaise/ Permanent Framework of Dialogue for Congolese Women (CAFCO) held a press conference on 7 April to provide an update on developments in its advocacy work to get political parties to promote gender equality, in accordance with both Article 14 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and international legal instruments ratified by the country. The conference took place in the presence of numerous representatives from political parties.
The president of CAFCO, Madame Rose Mutombo, at the outset made it clear that her organisation's role is not to "steer" the vote, but "to conduct upstream work and allow women access to decision-making bodies to which they are entitled. Moreover, CAFCO's work is not limited to conducting advocacy activities targeted at political parties," Madame Mutombo said. "That is just one aspect of CAFCO's work."
The MONUC Electoral Division's Gender and Elections Unit, in support of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), is supporting CAFCO's action because the current Electoral Law does not reflect the constitutional gender balance objectives and must eventually be brought into compliance with the Congolese Constitution."
Supported by the MONUC Electoral Division's Gender and Elections Unit and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s Political Governance Programme, CAFCO's initial advocacy efforts for the inclusion of gender parity in the draft law on the establishment of a new electoral body, the National Electoral Independent Commission (CENI), had floundered in both Houses of Parliament. But encouraged by the two aforementioned partners, CAFCO is now targeting its advocacy efforts at political parties which will be called upon to select from their ranks the future members of the INEC office.
Under the assumption of a revision of the Electoral Law, CAFCO is continuing to advocate with political parties for greater participation of women in party decision-making and strategic structures and for women's inclusion on party lists of election candidates.
Despite uncertainty in the pre-electoral climate, it is clear that some political parties are already beginning to "woo" women's votes. So far CAFCO have held discussions with nine political parties to deliver its advocacy message. Other parties have also expressed their wish to have similar discussions with CAFCO.
Most often cited obstacles
- Women face "social and cultural barriers", which allegedly explains why they are hesitant and timid in committing themselves politically;
- Male preconceptions of women's inability to hold political office are allegedly still prevalent; not to mention men's alleged obstinacy to maintain internal party structures that leave women at a disadvantage.
Conference participants generally agreed on the following recommendations: intensifying advocacy activities targeted at political parties; raising women's awareness of their role in political life; and mobilising women to vote for female candidates.
However, views expressed by party representatives highlighted the challenges lying ahead. The representative of the RCD party argued that including a large number of women on party lists of election candidates would amount to "political suicide", given the prevailing social and cultural perceptions of women's roles and status. "Congolese people, men and women, are not inclined to vote for a woman, however competent," he said, adding: "undoubtedly the safest and fastest way to achieve equal representation for women is to introduce appropriate legislation." To illustrate this, participants pointed to Rwanda where 30 per cent of all parliamentary and cabinet seats are reserved for women and the remaining 70 per cent left to electoral competition.
Many participants said that women's political competence is no longer in question and that it matches that of men. The problem, then, is "a lack of will within political parties to promote women".
The head of the MONUC Electoral Division's Gender and Elections Unit said it is important to continue advocacy work not just because this is the wish of political parties that have been consulted, but because this is the beginning of the pre-electoral period and "political parties in search of women's votes seem to have finally understood that it is in their interest to pay attention to gender."