Topic: Encouraging Political Participation by Women
Country: Swaziland
Delegate Name: Anneliese Stattelman
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Swaziland position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
Political participation by women is important because of the vastly different experiences of men and women, and the need to represent these experiences through the platform of politics. Women make up half of the world's population, but their representation in politics in Sub Saharan Africa repeatedly makes up less than thirty percent. Despite the 2005 Constitution’s Bill of Rights declaring women to have the same rights as men, women in Swaziland still face unequal social, economic, legal, political, and cultural treatment. Further legislation enforcing the Bill of Rights is lacking, resulting in the perpetuation of women being treated as minors or second-class citizens. According to the Afrobarometer briefing paper, many international conferences have agreed to a target of 30% representation of women in decision-making positions in government and the private sector. In Africa, only 11 countries had met this target as of 1 April 2014. Swaziland was not among these 11. In a review conducted by the by AfriMAP and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, Swaziland’s current guidelines for encouraging political participation by women were outlined. The Constitution specifically stipulates that in the House of Assembly’s election of ten members of Senate, five candidates must be women and that the King in appointing members of the House of Assembly and Senate, should appoint at least five and seven women respectively. The Constitution also provides that where, after an election, there are less than 30% women in Parliament, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) should conduct an election for an additional four women members – one from each of the four regions of the country. Despite these measures, women elected into any form of office has not seen a significant increase. For this, there are many contributing factors. Women in all four regions of Swaziland who expressed interest in engaging in politics as candidates’ experiences questioning on their cultural and domestic roles. Many cultural traditions become roadblocks for women when it comes to politics. For example, it is the norm to ask one’s husband to participation when wanting to become involved in politics, and because women move to the communities of their husbands upon marriage, women are usually viewed as newcomers to a community. Unlike their male counterparts, women are not the head of the household. This status prevents them from acquiring sufficient means such as capital to run for office. Women who do show political interest are sometimes the targets of hate crimes, and the stigma around political participation by women is ever present. The percentage of women in parliament still consistently dips below 20%. Swaziland is not opposed to further legislation granting women greater rights in the sphere of political participation. However, Swaziland also seeks to honor its traditional culture while doing so. Previous programs and NGOs implanted in the past have included Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), Council of Swaziland Churches and other members of the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations (CANGO) Gender Consortium, in partnership with the Gender Unit and supported by the United Nations Development Program. These efforts have not been the most invective in reaching their goals of increasing political participation by women. It is Swaziland’s goal to expand upon previously funded programs to increase efficiency, and it is Swaziland’s wish that its cultural traditions are respected and kept in mind while forming these possible expansions. Swaziland is also in support of drafting further legislation to ensure political participation by women.
