Media Release: Commemorating 100 Years Of Women’s Right To Vote
Urgency Of The Collective Effort For Gender Electoral Parity In The Netherlands
Media Release
The Hague, 9th May 2019
To mark the occasion of 100 years of women’s right to vote in the Netherlands, Director Bano as a member of the Steering Committee on the national commemoration known as Committee 100 Years of Women’s Rights to Vote,emphasizes the importance of the need for a broad support base to promote women’s democratic electoral participation in The Netherlands. She refers to Gender Election Observation Mission’s (GEOM 2017) recommendations in enhancing female leadership and gender equality at key decision-making levels, pointing out the gender parity and equality status at the level of Election Commission (Kiesraad) 100 years ago and now.
Notwithstanding the positive progress, efforts to enhance women’s political participation should persist.
Women’s electoral and political participation cannot be understated in modern democracies, where more inclusive, responsive, egalitarian and democratic processes are of paramount importance to achieving gender electoral parity. Ms. Bano refers to the gender disparity that still prevails and is reflected through its electoral system and election management bodies in the Netherlands. GEOM 2017 the Netherlands recommendations reemphasizes the urgent need of a collective effort for the attainment of electoral gender parity.
Today marks the 100-year anniversary of women’s right to vote in the Netherlands, an idea that started with activism and ultimately resulted in victory for the women’s suffrage movement giving them the opportunity to be involved in politics. Since 9 May 1919, Dutch women freely exercise their voting rights. Gender Concerns International is pleased to honor the significance of the anniversary and congratulate men and women in the Netherlands not only for this achievement but also in safeguarding women’s political rights nationally and globally for the past decades. Electoral Gender Parity is a new Feminist Elan and a non-negotiable target for agenda 2020 processes, stated Bano.
Gender Concerns International is an
international gender and development organization with its headquarters in The
Hague that pioneered and specialized in observing international elections from
a pure gender perspective. It has conducted a series of unique GEOMs
successfully observing elections exclusively from a gender perspective in
Pakistan (2008, 2013), Tunisia (2011, 2014), Morocco (2011, 2015, 2016), Libya
(2012), Myanmar (2015) and The Netherlands (2017).
For further details please contact:
Zaneta Meinert, Management and Outreach,
Gender Concerns International Benoordenhoutseweg 23, 2596 BA, The Hague, the Netherlands
E: info@genderconcerns.orgP: +31 (0) 74445082 W: www.genderconcerns.org
