UNDP | Europe & CIS | International Conference on Women and Governance in Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent states, Istanbul 1st to 3rd December 2008

International Conference on Women and Governance in Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent states, Istanbul 1st to 3rd December 2008

International Conference on Women and Governance in Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent states was organized as a joint effort of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in association with Turkish International Cooperation & Development Agency (TIKA) under the Framework of the South-south cooperation Project.

Aim of the conference was to provide platform for exchange among women and men from the region to create opportunity to identify the issues related to women and governance and explore ways to address them while taking into account good practices and lessons learned from other countries.

Participants were welcomed by opening speeches of Dr. Mustafa Sahin, Vice President of TIKA and Mr. Mahmood A. Ayub, UN Turkey Resident Coordinator and UNDP Turkey Resident Representative and Ms. Leyla Coşkun, Deputy Director General on the Status of Women. Ms. Coşkun presented new initiative on gender-sensitivity training in the curricula of the army and state organizations that should enable them to develop skills in promoting and sustaining gender equality.

Key plenary session speeches on global and regional trends and issues affecting women’s political participation were shared by Ms. Winnie Byanyima, Director of UNDP Gender Team and Jens Wandel, Deputy Regional Director & Bratislava’s Regional Center Director. The region of Europe and Commonwealth of Independent states (referred as RBEC) falls with its average 16.4 % of women participating in parliaments below the global average of 18 % level of women’s parliamentary participation. Ms. Winnie Byanyima also emphasized, in regards to achievement of real women’s share of power in governance, the role of the executive branch where women’s participation is often even lower than within legislative bodies. In region of Europe and Commonwealth of Independent states, most recent data show that in majority of the region’s countries women barely take 20% of ministerial positions, as presented by Mr. Jens Wandel.

Various key stakeholders participated in conference including members of political parties, governmental and parliamentary bodies (men and women as well), representatives of local governments, civil society representatives including those of grassroots organizations, experts from universities and research institutes, media representatives, UNDP representatives responsible for gender and democratic governance and more.

Up to 129 participants from more than 20 countries around the region as well as outside of region shared their valuable knowledge and experience of good practices and lessons learned in regard to actions supporting women’s participation and greater gender equality in governance. They were coming from countries such as Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Spain, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, United states, Uganda and more. Several outstanding international experts shared their recent research findings and opened the floor for new interesting issues for further consideration.

Participants shared best practices and lessons learned on the initiatives promoting women's political participation. Exchange of knowledge will enable them to build better strategies between public, civil and private sector to promote greater gender equality.

Focusing on key challenges, opportunities participantsjointly with chairs of in four thematic sessions formulated recommendations for international organizations donor institutions as well as for governmental, parliamentary and other partners from political arena (especially political parties) in following areas:

Thematic session I: Mechanisms to promote women’s political participation (Affirmative actions, political party system; women’s branches; electoral systems)
Thematic session II: Women’s participation in policy-making (Women’s participation at local, regional, national level on the policy making process, mechanism to promote the inclusion of women’s needs into the policies)

Thematic session III: The Enabling environment for women’s political participation (Civil Society Networks, the media and the social and regional context)
Thematic session IV: Gender Equality Law (Good practices and challenges in implementation)

Conference recommendations are being finalized and soon they will be communicated with all relevant stakeholders.

The discussion in thematic workshop sessions also brought inspirational contributions to the UNDP’s regional project Regional Report on Women and Governance that aims to address challenges of transition in the region and developing processes that have been occurring in the region without the full participation of women and at the same time weakening women's position in political and socio-economic life. The project examines the reasons for women's low participation and aims to mobilize stakeholders and partners to support efforts to promote greater participation of women in governance.

Last, but not least, the conference hosted two additional events, presentation of IKNOW Politics portal by Ms. Anita Vandenbeld and launching of the most recent UNIFEM’s progress report of World’s women 2008-2009: “Who Answers to women?” that highlighted region’s achievements and shortcomings in regard to the level of women’s participation in governance in global perspective.