Women in Arab Parliaments: Progress, Stagnation or Regression?

Beirut, 09/07/2008 - 10/07/2008.

Organizer(s): Parliamentary Development Initiative in the Arab Region.

This regional seminar aimed at identifying the barriers which hinder women’s adequate representation in elections and parliament, and understanding the complex internal dynamics which characterize the situation of Arab women in politics, both in their race to get elected, and in their progress within the parliamentary institution. The Seminar, which was intended as a platform of exchange among women and men from the region, brought together representatives from 10-12 Arab Parliaments (single or lower houses), women candidates in recent elections, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, and a number of Arab and international experts. It presented an opportunity to identify the issues and explore ways to address them while taking into account recently introduced measures (reform of electoral system or rules, reserved seats, statutory quotas, etc.) and which have been tested for the first time in most countries. One output of this regional dialogue was identifying a core group of participants that UNDP could later support as a regional task force whose mission is to thoroughly address the issues through policy dialog, knowledge sharing and advocacy.