RED CEDAR MODEL UNITED NATIONS

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2 Table of Contents Letter to Delegate... 3 Women and Political Participation... 4 Introduction... 4 History of Women in Politics... 4 Current Issues... 6 Current Positions Conclusion Questions to Consider SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 2

3 Letter to Delegate Delegates, I am very excited to welcome you all to Michigan State University for the eighth session of the Red Cedar Model United Nations Conference! My name is Alison Shereda and I will be the chair of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. For this conference, we will be debating Women and Political Participation, an issue that has recently become extremely important in the global community. Before I go on, myself and my incredible staff would like to introduce ourselves. I am currently a sophomore at James Madison College, where I study Comparative Cultures and Politics with minors in International Development and Anthropology. I am originally from Macomb Township, Michigan and I have been involved in MUN for 5 years. This is my second year as a member of MSUMUN, as well as my second RCMUN. Last year, I served as an Assistant Chair for the DISEC: 1962 committee. In addition to MSUMUN, I am also an active member of the International Relations Organization (IRO), MSU s travel Model UN team and MSUMUN s sister organization. When I m not doing anything related to MUN, I enjoy watching Game of Thrones, eating Dairy Store ice cream, and online shopping. My name is Megan Mueller and I am one of the Assistant Chairs for UN Women. I am a freshman studying in James Madison College with a double major in Social Work. After two years of high school MUN in Royal Oak, I look forward to working at RCMUN. I have previously chaired at SEMMUNA and staffed at GLIMUN. When I m not at MSU, you can find me interning in Lansing, working at my local Boys and Girls Club, or watching Brooklyn 99. U look forward to meeting UN Women s degetaes and a fantastic day of debate! My name is Emily McHarg and I am a junior studying International Relations with minors in German and Women and Gender Studies here at MSU. This is my second year doing MUN, but my first year doing MSUMUN, and I am excited for my first RCMUN and MSUMUN. I am also a part of the International Relations Organization which is the collegiate MUN travel team at MSU. In addition to MUN, I love to travel, read, and hang out with her friends. I am super excited for this committee, and can t wait to see what you all come up with! Good luck! I am Nina Robinson and I am currently a freshman at James Madison College studying Comparative Cultures and Politics. RCMUN is my first time ever doing MUN, as I had never heard of it until coming to college. Before coming to MSU, I lived in Detroit and attended school in the southwest part of the city. In my downtime, I enjoy swimming and drawing portraits, but if I had more time I would like to explore the city more! On behalf of the dias of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, we look forward to an incredible weekend! Best, Alison Shereda Chair, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women specialized6@msumun.org SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 3

4 Introduction RED CEDAR MODEL UNITED NATIONS Women and Political Participation The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all individuals are born equally, however women are still excluded, especially in politics. Women s political participation is a necessity for gender equality and genuine democracy, 1 however, due to discrimination, women are discouraged from being politically active. Although many areas do still exclude women from politics, the global community as a whole has witnessed an increase in the number of women holding seats in parliament over the last 20 years, especially in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Further involving women in politics by promoting education and limiting discrimination has the potential to make governments more inclusive. History of Women in Politics Women have been involved politically for centuries, serving as some of the most memorable monarchs and heads of state throughout history. Citizens had no issues with having women lead in most monarchies, however, there has been disinterest in having women be involved in democratic governments. The first women were not allowed to vote until 1893 when they were granted this right in New Zealand. Over 100 years later, Saudi Arabia became the most recent nation to grant women the right to vote in However, women were not given an opportunity to exercise this right until 2015, almost a year after the death of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-saud. 2 A large number of prominent female leaders prior to World War II were hereditary rulers, meaning that they were given a position of power because they were next in line. The first woman was not elected to a position as the head of state until The first non-hereditary female head of state in modern history was Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, a Soviet politician who served as the head of government of the Tuvan People s Republic. The 1 "Political Participation of Women." UN Women Asia and the Pacific. Accessed December 05, "Women's Suffrage." Infoplease. Accessed November 06, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 4

5 first woman to be elected as president of a nation rose to power decades later, when Iceland elected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir in Throughout history, the denial of the right for women to participate in the politics of a nation was justified using logic that is considered to be unreasonable by today's standards. For example, in the United States, women were granted the right to vote in 1920 under the 20th Amendment to their Constitution. Some of the most bizarre ideas include if women vote, the world will end, women s sole patriotic contribution should be to raise sons, and women are too delicate to vote. 4 Also, individuals believed that women are too emotional to be involved in politics. Some of these views are still common in today s society. In 1979, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). CEDAW formally defined discrimination against women and created an agenda to eliminate this discrimination. 5 This document is used as a guideline for women s rights issues across UN Member States and serves as a universal set of rules for the ways women should and should not be treated. The Beijing Platform for Action from the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 extends the Universal Declaration of Human Rights claim that everyone has the right to take part in their government and seeks to empower women on a global level to run for political office or otherwise participate in their political systems 6. The document recognizes that progress needs to be made in achieving gender equality in political systems. Specifically, Article 186 states that there is a low number of women in high economic and political 3 Hogeback, Jonathan. "6 of the First Women Heads of State." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 06, Altebarmakian, Tamar. "Unbelievably Absurd, Yet Real Reasons Men Used To Keep Women From Voting." Ranker. Accessed November 06, "Gender Equality." United Nations. Accessed November 04, "Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995." United Nations. Accessed November 04, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 5

6 positions at the local, national, regional, and international level. This reflects barriers that need to be addressed with positive solutions. Institutions, including those in the United Nations system, do not make full use of women s potential for these top-level positions. 6 By recognizing this need for change, the United Nations has shown the direction that the world should be headed and has set expectations for all its member states. In September of 2000, the United Nations Development Programme set a list of 8 Millennium Development goals, the third of which is to promote gender equality and empower women. 7 These goals serve to continue the Beijing Document and reinforce the expectations that the UN has for its member states regarding gender equality. NGOs across the globe are also committed to female empowerment, such as Sonke Gender Justice, Oxfam International, and Equality Now, among numerous others 8. Current Issues There is still a large gender gap in political participation, especially because many nations still have not had a female leader of their government. As of February 2018, there are 20 females serving as heads of state or head of government, representing only 6.3% of the total 315 international leaders. Two of the twenty were heads of state, Queen Elizabeth II of England and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. A head of state is a mostly ceremonial position, while the head of government is in charge of the executive branch, and some countries have both. For example, in New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and Jacinda Ardern is the head of government. Other heads of government include Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. 9 7 "Millennium Development Goals." UNDP. Accessed November 06, "20 Organizations That Address Gender Equality." Raptim. May 18, Accessed November 04, Rubin, Trudy. "Looking for Female Political Leaders During Women's History Month? The List Is Small." Newsday. March 12, Accessed November 06, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 6

7 However, this is a problem that women face in lower level government positions too. Only Nordic countries have almost equal representation in parliament, with women making up 41% of parliament. 10 However, other regions are far behind. Women make up 26% of European parliaments, 24% of sub-saharan African parliaments, 19% of Asian parliaments, 18% of Pacific parliaments, and 17.5% of Arab parliaments. 11 In the United States, women make up 20% of the House of Representatives and 34% of the Senate. Out of the 110 women serving in the 115th Congress, 39 are women of color. 12 Since 2013, Rwanda has had a record-breaking number of women in parliament. The parliamentary elections of that year resulted in 64% of seats being held by women, which officially made Rwanda the best country for women in politics. In 2003, their revised constitution set a 30% quota for women in election positions, and political parties adopted their own voluntary ones. To increase the number of women in high level political positions, some countries have started a quote system. These quotas state that a certain percentage of seats in parliament or other government positions have to be held by women. Quotas increase the number of women and also results in better elected officials. 13 Over 75 countries have adopted these quota policies, including Uganda, Argentina, and Mexico. However, the quotas require different numbers of women according to the country. For example, Niger aims to have 10% of its parliament be made up of women, while Panama aims for 50%. 9 However, these quotas are not doing enough. The Global Gender Gap Report in 2017 reported that the political gender gap could close in 99 years given the recent trend of decreasing female political representation Global Education Monitoring Report 2018 Gender Review, (UNESCO: 2018), "Meeting Our Commitments to Gender Equality in Education." Accessed November 6, "Quick Take: Women in Government." Catalyst. September 12, Accessed November 06, "The Global Gender Gap Report 2017." World Economic Forum. Accessed November 06, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 7

8 Women s Movements RED CEDAR MODEL UNITED NATIONS Women s movements have gained significant momentum across the world, particularly in developing countries. Amid widespread and heavily politicized activism in Western countries, lesser-known movements have occurred across the Global South. Thailand, for example, has a group of political protesters, mostly made up of women, called the Yellow Shirts. The Yellow Shirts once staged a military coup, which lead to the removal of a corrupt government official. Because of the efforts of the Yellow Shirts, new officials were able to step in and fix the corruption. The Yellow Shirts also proved that female empowerment and participation in political systems is not limited to Western women. Voter and Civic Education Both voter and civic education are important in increasing women s involvement in politics. Voter education is giving information, materials, and creating programs designed to inform voters about the specifics of the voting process for an election. When providing voter education, programs should take into account women s illiteracy rates, especially in post-conflict nations. Programs should make it clear that suffrage is universal and create an environment that welcomes and encourages women in the election process. Suffrage being the right to vote in political elections. A similar program was used in Kenya s 2002 presidential election. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) coordinated training initiatives that include community-based voter education. 14 Voter education is most useful when used with programs of civic education. Civic education involves educating people on a country s political system. Not only have these programs been previously used in a nation s 14 Women and Elections. PDF. United Nations, March SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 8

9 educational curriculum, but there should also be continuous programs to make sure women disadvantaged by an education system are still included. 14 Gender Roles and Society One reason women aren t involved in politics is because it is unacceptable in their country. Because politics has historically been a male-dominated field, women who are desiring to enter politics are often times met with resistance and even hostility. Commonly, religious practices shape this acceptability, with countries dominated by Catholicism and Islam least supportive of women in public office 15. In addition, female candidates may face gaps in capacities or resources that prevent them from competing effectively 16 Traditionally, gender norms and standards have been used to discourage women from being involved in politics. This is evident because most countries do not have any formal laws that prohibit women from participating in the election process. Societies with strong male-leaning values prefer men in politics over women. This made worse as a result of low rates of education, little access to information, family, and few opportunities. Obstacles like these are very common in post-conflict nations, which are characterized by militarism, a high need for security, the political dominance of a small group of (typically male) elites, the absence of well-established political parties, the failure to include women in peace negotiations, and other limiting factors. On the other hand, post-conflict societies have institutions in place to bring forth progressive change, such as increasing women s involvement in politics. 17 Gender roles as a barrier for political participation is made evident in Saudi Arabia, which gave women the right to vote in Women are now also able to run as candidates, but they still face plenty of restrictions. Women need the permission of their husbands and fathers to vote. Female candidates cannot put their pictures on 15 Goetz, Anne Marie. "Women's Education and Political Participation." Accessed November 6, "Elections- Women's Leadership and Political Participation." UN Women. Accessed November 06, Office of the Special Advisory on Gender Issues. Accessed December 5, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 9

10 campaign information, compact voters in WhatsApp, which is the country s most popular social networking site, or talk to men while campaigning. 18 Current Positions The United States and Canada While developed nations tend to show higher rates of political participation by women, Canada and the United States still have a long way to go in achieving equal representation of men and women in governmental bodies. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada currently has a cabinet composed of 15 women and 15 men, marking the first time in Canadian history that a prime minister has built an equally balanced cabinet. However, only about one-quarter of the House of Commons consists of women, and only about one-third of the Senate is female. In the United States, women are still a minority in government. Although record numbers of women ran for positions in the Senate, House of Representatives, Governor, state legislatures, and local positions, women are still a minority in government. Beginning in 2019, 102 of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives are held by women, and 24 seats in the senate will be held by women. 19 In addition, as more women run, more women vote, volunteer for campaigns or other political organizations. This is not to say that the United States or Canada are perfect - developed states still have work to do in achieving balanced gender representation and increased political action by women. 20 Latin America (includes Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Haiti, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Colombia) There is currently a lack of female leadership in Latin America. In 2014, the region was home to 1/3 of the world s female presidents, but now it has zero. However, there is still progress that has been made in their political sphere. 4 countries- Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, have over 40% of women sitting on their 18 Amos, Deborah. "For Saudi Women, 'Baby Steps Into This World Of Democracy'." NPR. December 02, Accessed December 05, "Women in Government." Catalyst. April 24, Accessed November 04, Nicholls, Sallyann. "Women in Politics: How Does Europe Measure Up?" EuroNews. March 13, Accessed November 06, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 10

11 parliament. 21 However, other countries have large gaps in leadership, with only 20% of women in their Congress. Argentina passed the world s first quota law for female congressional candidates in 1991, and since then all but two Latin American nations have followed. 22 Unfortunately, political parties in Latin America nominate fewer women when voters think the economy is not doing well and also when there is increased competition. With fewer seats, Latin American parties are less likely to nominate women. 23 Europe In Europe, an increased number of women are being elected to heads of state. Nations like Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia, Norway, and the United Kingdom all have women serving in the highest office in the land. On the other hand, the number of female politicians serving in parliament varies across the continent. In France, women occupy 52.9% of ministerial posts, where people serve as heads of a department of government, however only 25.8% of seats in parliament were held by females. Iceland has the highest number of women serving in its parliament, with females holding 30 out of 63 seats. The nation of Hungary ranks the lowest in Europe, with zero women holding posts as ministers and a mere 10% of parliamentary seats. This can be contributed to the presence of gendered stereotypes in their society: it is widely believed that the role of women is to take care of the home and that women are likely to make poor decisions because of their emotions 24. The Middle East (includes Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Israel, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, Libya, Jordan, Pakistan and Lebanon) Even though some countries in the Middle East have elected high ranking female government leaders, there are still problems in the region. For example, Pakistan and Turkey elected female Prime Ministers in the 21 Gonzalez, Elizabeth. "Infographic: Women in Politics in Latin America." AS/COA. August 07, Accessed December 03, Piscopo, Jennifer. "Latin America's Female Leadership Void." The New York Times. February 05, Accessed December 03, Rozas, Pilar Tello, and Carolina Floru. "Women's Political Participation in Latin America: Some Progress and." International IDEA. July 03, Accessed December 03, s-political-participation-latin-americasome-progress-and-many-challenges. 24 Nicholls, Sallyann. "Women in Politics: How Does Europe Measure Up?" EuroNews. March 13, Accessed November 06, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 11

12 1990s while Iran had a female Vice President from 1997 to ,however, currently there are no female government leaders in the Middle East. Some women in the region have only recently been granted the right to vote including women in Saudi Arabia which received their full rights to vote in Active political participation has been linked to receiving higher education and paid employment, which not many women in the Middle East have. 27 Despite these barriers, Arab women have been very active in political movements like the 2010 Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was a movement to overthrow oppressive governments, and many women became cyber activists, posting vital information on websites like Facebook, Youtube and Flickr. 28 Cyberactivism gave Arab women a way to participate politically and still stay safe or avoid disapproving families. 22 Overall, while there is less representation of female leaders in Middle Eastern countries currently, Arab women are finding new ways to get involved politically. Africa Many African nations have made great strides toward higher participation by women in politics. With goals set by inter-governmental bodies such as the African Union for higher rates of female representation and a shift in many nations toward democracy, policies regarding women s rights have been integrated into many nations constitutions. Many women s movements have taken advantage of democracy to make their agendas clear and their voices heard. For example, an activist group in Senegal pushed for quotas regarding women s participation in government to be adopted, and in 2012, a quota of this nature was put into law. This has reduced the gender gap in elected positions 29. Many women have also been elected or appointed to official positions across 25 Almontaser, Dr. Debbie. "The Time Muslim Countries Had Female Presidents and the U.S.A Did Not." The Huffington Post. March 22, Accessed November 06, Al-Fassi, Hatoon. "Is Female Suffrage in the Gulf Important?" Middle East Centre. June 27, Accessed November 06, Abdo-Katsipis, Carla B. "Women, Political Participation, and the Arab Spring: Political Awareness and Participation in Democratizing Tunisia." Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 38, no. 4 (2017): doi: / x Radsch, Courtney C.. "Unveiling the Revolutionaries: Cyberactivism and the Role of Women in the Arab Uprisings." (2012) 29 Tripp, Aili. "Women's Political Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa." Social Science Research Council. May 01, Accessed November 04, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 12

13 the African continent. In 2018, Ethiopia s parliament appointed its first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde. 30 Women across Africa have proven that it is possible to overcome traditional expectations of women and hold positions of power within their governments. Asia and the Pacific In Asia, women s political participation is the lowest in the Pacific subregion (which excludes Australia and New Zealand at 3.65%. All four subregions, the Pacific, Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia, are below the global average for women s representation in politics. There is an opposition to women s involvement in the public sector as a result of current cultural, societal, and religious reasons, which emphasize the belief that a woman s place is not in politics. Nations such as Mongolia, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, New Caledonia and French Polynesia have recently implemented gender quotas, which has increased the number of women involved in politics. However, these quotas are undermined by high-level individuals. In addition, violence against women for speaking up and defending human rights or seeking political office is very common throughout Asia and the Pacific because of their disapproval of women participating in public life in general. 31 Conclusion Suffrage and other liberties associated with political participation are universal human rights. Despite this fact, women are deliberately excluded from politics. It is critical that the committee recalls previously existing solutions as a means to focus on more progressive ideas in the future. Issues relating to voter and civic education, as well as methods of discrimination, should be tackled by the committee. Delegates should also be aware of cultural and religious factors when discussing increasing the involvement of women politically. 30 Ahmed, Hadra, and Kimiko De Freytas-tamura. "Ethiopia Appoints Its First Female President." The New York Times. October 25, Accessed November 04, Segura, Renata. Women's Political Participation in Asia and the Pacific. PDF. Social Science Research Council, SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 13

14 Questions to Consider: 1. How can education be improved in order to encourage more women to participate politically? 2. How can nations encourage more women to participate politically with respect to cultural norms? 3. What can nations do to ensure female candidates are no longer discriminated against? 4. How can nations increase the involvement of marginalized women in politics? SESSION VIII BACKGROUND GUIDE 14