Advancing women’s representation in Parliament

The Gender Development Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs aims to explore and develop a five year national action plan to increase the participation of Women into Parliament from the present 3 women in parliament to 7 women in parliament over the next 5 years.

The two day national consultation on advancing women’s representation in decision making processes – women’s political empowerment funded by UNIFEM started its proceedings yesterday 10th June 2010 at the Crown Beach Resort, Conference Centre, Arorangi, Rarotonga. With over 25 participants in attendance and an exciting set of panel speakers, the plenary sessions stirred up much discussion and debate.
The panel speakers included representatives from the Cook Islands National Council of Women, Crown Law, House of Ariki, Religious Advisory Council, Outer Island Councils, Cook Islands Party, Democratic Party, Chamber of Commerce, Former Women Member of Parliament, National Youth Council and National Disability Council. The perspectives shared by each panel speaker assisted the participants of the two day consultation to identify the strengths and challenges confronted by Women.
The four key questions asked of panel speakers were as follows:
1. Why do you think our women are not interested in entering politics and parliament?
2. How would your agency support getting more of our women interested in entering politics and parliament?
3. What are your vies on having seats allocated in Parliament specifically for women for at least three election periods?
4. What can you and your agency do right now to assist Government efforts to advance more women coming into politics and parliament?
Panel speakers and plenary sessions generated interesting views and responses from participants. The Acting President of the National Council of Women, Francis Topa-Apera refreshed participant’s memory of how the road map of empowering women started, resulting in the advancement of Cook Islands Women in various decision making areas.
She further added insight towards the need for both men and women to understand the ‘Mindset of Women’. Topa Apera pointed out that Women do not just think about what needs to be done at work, but she is at the same time thinking about other multiple areas of responsibility that she must undertake. Perhaps, it is this mindset, says Topa Apera that prevents Women from entering into politics. Her sense of responsibility financially and socially to her husband, children, uncle, aunty, cousins, friends and the general community is more important than her aspiration to go into Politics.
Pastor Tevai Matapo provided an inspirational and spiritual solution to women being empowered into politics and parliament. He encouraged Women to awaken their spiritual values by basing themselves within the ‘being valued’ perspectives of the Bible. When you know you are valued, and you are sourcing your value from a reliable source, you will not need to ask for a specific number of allocated seats for women in Parliament, says Matapo. Matapo strongly expressed his disagreement towards the request for allocated seats in Parliament; he felt it belittled the status of women. Matapo encouraged the Women to believe in themselves and this begins by first acknowledging that you are valued and by whom you are valued. He closed off his presentation by reminding the participants that history has proven that women rule better than men.
Nandi Glassie and Teina Bishop from the Cook Islands Party provided a colourful presentation on empowering Women into Politics. Nandi Glassie encouraged the women to firstly understand the rules of engagement by reading through the Constitution of the Cook Islands, the Electoral Act and other relevant parliamentary rule books. He believed that having a quota system by allocating seats for women for the next three elections can only speed up the process of increasing the number of women into Parliament. As for Teina Bishop, he shared with participants that 80% of his constituency committee are women and so having to be a Champion for Women’s issue and understanding their mindsets is a must for him. Bishop shared with participants that the need for us men to take off our male mindsets and replace it with a women’s mindset is something that not only my colleague and I have to do but also encourage our fellow male politicians to do.
The planned programme for today 11th June 2010 will be focused on producing a five year national action plan as a result of yesterday’s panel speakers and plenary sessions.

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