Regional Trends for Women’s Electoral Success in the East African Legislatures

Ombati, Mokua (2014) Regional Trends for Women’s Electoral Success in the East African Legislatures. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education (1-2). pp. 153-172. ISSN 1821-1283

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Abstract

Without formally enacted methodologies, it is increasingly clear that
meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that stipulate gender equality
and promote women’s empowerment would be extremely very difficult.
Specifically, MDG 3 underlines the fact that women need to be politically
empowered by far greater participation if greater equality has to be achieved.
Under this goal, countries are expected to formulate deliberate policies that ensure
equal representation between men and women in all decision-making levels
including politics. It is on this note therefore, that countries in the East African
region have enacted constitutional, legislative and electoral requirements
providing for the principle of gender quotas as a policy measure for boosting
women’s access to their legislatures. Based on a critical analysis of official
reports, related literature and data provided by national parliaments, this
investigation examines the gender composition of five legislatures in the East
African region namely, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya. The
study underlines the power of gender quotas in expediting and equalizing
significant gender imbalances, and alsocaptures the types and nature of quotas
used by individual countries. While appreciating the challenges involved in
underwriting the affirmative action mechanisms, the analyses notes that affirmative
action is not a slogan for politics but a strategy for development; it is a gigantic
plan of action for achieving the desired social change.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	COBISS.ID=207723276
Uncontrolled Keywords:	electoral gender quotas, women in East African legislatures
Research Department:	?? H1 ??
Depositing User:	Jelena Banovic
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2016 12:33
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2016 12:33
URI:	http://35.240.28.64/id/eprint/529
Author Links:	[error in script] No links available.

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