Women's Parliamentary Leadership in the Commonwealth
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians join global discussion on women’s parliamentary and transformational leadership with Commonwealth and CPA Secretaries-General
Earlier this week, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from the CWP International Steering Committee participated in a webinar organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the CPA and CWP on Women’s Parliamentary and Transformational Leadership.
Forming part of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s 'Inclusive Dialogue and Women’s Political Participation Webinar Series', the online webinar was designed to critically reflect on gender sensitivity in Parliaments and the significance of women's parliamentary and transformational leadership in fostering equitable development in the Commonwealth.
All of the panellists shared their knowledge, first-hand experience and examples of best practice on matters relating to barriers to women’s representation and effective leadership and the challenges and strategies needed to encourage the retention of women in Parliament. The webinar was attended by Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, academics, experts, international organisations and members from civil society organisations from across the Commonwealth.
In his opening remarks, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg encouraged Parliaments to actively engage in the process of sharing best practices to ensure that they strengthen their institutions and support women in Parliament and strive for the exceptional to become the normal.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland QC re-echoed this sentiment and said that ‘Parliaments should lead the way for greater equality and inclusivity’ and should ultimately ‘act as engines of change’. The Commonwealth Secretary-General also paid tribute to the late CPA Chairperson, Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, recalling her commitment to and championing of women’s leadership in Parliaments.
The webinar was delivered in two separate panel discussions. The first was moderated by the CWP Chairperson, Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA (Pakistan), who reflected on women’s parliamentary representation across the Commonwealth and addressed the barriers that women in the Commonwealth face upon their entry into politics, into Parliament and when rising to leadership positions within society.
During this discussion, CWP Canada Member, Hon. Lisa Thompson, MPP (Ontario), provided insight into her role as the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and specifically the work that the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is doing to combat cyberbullying and become a gender sensitive Parliament. In her remarks, Hon. Thompson said that ‘women need to change the narrative and drive policy that ensures that gender sensitivity is a priority and that bullying stops’.
Sarah Childs, Professor of Gender and Politics at the Royal Holloway University of London and the author of the CWP’s Gender Sensitising Parliaments Guidelines also informed Parliamentarians of how they can start the journey of gender sensitising their respective Parliaments and the importance of Parliaments undertaking audits using the CWP guidelines. During her presentation, Professor Childs also highlighted the value of male allies and women parliamentary friendship groups as methods that can be used to help Parliaments become more ‘gender sensitive’.
In his contributions to the conversation, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Hon. Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli, MP stressed that ‘the current male dominated status quo is unacceptable. It discriminates and pays lip service to equality of men and women. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender persons experience even more bias and violence in addition to being looked down upon as less human’. Hon. Tsenoli continued ‘if we turn our institutions, especially our Parliaments as good examples of what to do, we will provide the best leadership across society, in every sector - the political, the social, the economic, the religious, the sporting and recreation. Force of example is our best bet!’.
During this second panel discussion, the CPA Secretary-General Stephen Twigg took the opportunity to highlight the need for Parliaments to be institutions that are welcoming of women and highlighted the CWP’s Anti-Harassment Guidelines as a useful tool that has been developed by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat which can serve as one of the many tools that Parliaments can use to combat the issue of the retention of women in Parliament.
Other Members of the CWP International Steering Committee who also participated in the event included: the CWP Steering Committee Member for the British Islands and Mediterranean Region, Hon. Samantha Sacramento, MP (Gibraltar); CWP Member for the India Region, Smt. Sunita Duggal, MP (India Union); and Hon. Kanwal Shauzab, MNA (Pakistan) on behalf of CWP Member for the Asia Region, Hon. Munaza Hassan MNA.
For more information about the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the resources available for Parliaments please contact CWP Network Coordinator via benite.dibateza@cpahq.org.
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The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female elected representatives in 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The network campaigns for gender equality in all spheres. For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.
