Press Release
The Hague, 31 January 2012
Elections and gender equality – Nieuwspoort, The Hague, 2nd of February, 13:30-17:00. Presentation of the results of the election monitoring missions in Tunisia and Morocco!
Is the Arab Summer approaching?
What will be the consequences of the Arab Spring for the position of women? From this unique perspective, the Hague based Gender Concerns International monitored the elections in Tunisia and Morocco last year. It was the first time that free elections were monitored from a gender perspective.
How many women were included on the ballots? How many women participated in the elections by voting? Did composition of the staff of the poll stations consider including women? Were pregnant women able to vote without constraints? Were illiterate women assisted without bias?
The democratic process will only ensure peace, security and stability, if it is completely open to every member of society at all levels. Democracy is insufficient if women cannot or do not want to play a role in it.
On Thursday the 2nd of February, 2012 at 13:30, the results of the gender election monitoring missions will be presented at Nieuwspoort in The Hague.
H.E. Caroline G. Weijers, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Tunisia (Tunisia)
H.E. Ben Becher, Ambassador of Tunisia in the Netherlands (Netherlands)
Souad Mahmoud, Association Tunisienne Femmes Democrats (Tunisia)
Imane Boutkhail, Jeune Chambre Internationale (JCI) (Morocco)
Dr. Hoda Badran, Alliance for Arab Women (Egypt, via Skype).
Horia Mashhoor, Minister for Human Rights and member of WATAN Coalition (Yemen, via Skype).
Sabra Bano, director Gender Concerns International (Netherlands).
Dutch Parliamentarians attending the event include Wassila Hachchi (D66), Kathleen Ferrier (CDA) and Hero Brinkman (PVV). Betty Doornenbal of the Council of Europe will participate in the discussion.
Gender Concerns International supports women worldwide in claiming their role as “agents of change”. Currently, the organization is active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, South-Sudan and the MENA-region (Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Yemen and Libya).
To attend the conference, please email G.Agenda2012@genderconcerns.org or phone +31 (0) 70 444 50 82. More information at www.genderconcerns.org.