In a Session to Discuss Fair and Effective Representation of Women in the Parliament: Political Parties, and Political and Feminist Groups Call for a National Dialogue that Include all Concerned Parties to Determine the Adequate Electoral System for the Coming House of Representatives

مجلس الشعب - تصوير: محمد زين الدين

Joint Statement

9 Feb 2014

Nazra for Feminist Studies held on Tuesday the 4th of February 2014 a workshop in which a number of experts and members of different political parties took part. Participants were people interested in legislative participation and political work of women. They gathered to discuss a proposal by Nazra for Feminist Studies to hold the coming legislative elections using a system that will lead to the parliament including a fair and effective representation of women.

During the workshop, participants exchanged views and experiences concerning the following proposal:
1. Holding the coming parliamentary elections according to closed electoral lists

2. Forming each electoral list of candidates of one party, a coalition of parties, or by a number of independent persons with the purpose of competing in elections.

3. Each electoral list has to be composed so that candidates belonging to one sex don't exceed the number of candidates belonging to the other sex, provided that candidates are arranged in a zebra style so that candidates number one and two are not from the same sex, and candidates number three and four are not from the same sex, and so on until the end of the list.

4. The quota system has to be applied to parliamentary seats elected by PR system in each electoral district so that winning candidates in each district in PR seats are equally divided between men and women.

Following discussions, the workshop reached the following recommendations:
1. It is necessary to hold a national dialogue that include all concerned parties, political groups, civil society, feminist groups, and National Council for Women in order to discuss the timing of the issuance of the law and the electoral system to be adopted.

2. Holding the National Dialogue on the basis of combining candidate-centered system and the PR list system so that seats are equally divided between men and women and guaranteeing a fair representation of women.

3. Calling for the re-discussion of boundary delimitation of electoral districts and the position of women in the media and political map.

Signatories:
1. Al-Dostour Party.
2. Bread and Freedom Party (under construction).
3. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party.
4. Al-Dostour Party.
5. Al-Wafd Party.
6. Egypt Freedom Party.
7. Nazra for Feminist Studies.

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