allAfrica.com: Benin: 'The Presence of Women in Local Councils Is in Itself a Revolution' (Page 1 of 2)

As local elections in Benin draw closer, activists are pushing ahead with efforts to have more women voted into local government. Just 45 of the 1,189 councilors currently in office are women.

The Group of NGOs, Prominent Persons and Institutions for a Strong Participation of Women in Decision Making (Groupe des ONG, personnalités et institutions pour une forte implication des femmes dans les prises de decisions, G/PIFeD), aims to have women elected to councils in 20 of the West African country's 77 local government areas during the January 2008 polls. In the last elections, held in 2002, G/PIFeD played a role in helping 44 women win office in 14 areas.

The ballot will take place under a system of proportional representation, which allocates seats to political parties according to their share of the vote. The seats are then awarded to persons on party lists, with those highest on the lists being picked first.

Independent candidates are also allowed to run -- although amendments to electoral legislation now require them to be grouped together on a list of their own: an added burden that some believe has been introduced by legislators to push candidates into running on party lists.

However, this isn't discouraging G/PIFeD co-ordinator Honorine Attikpa, as she told IPS correspondent Reine Azifan.

IPS: What exactly is G/PIFeD doing to have more women elected to local government during the upcoming elections?

Honorine Attikpa (HA): G/PIFeD is carrying out many activities, including lobbying decision-makers, who are the supporters and guardians of our traditions. We have started to sensitise them, because our tradition does not allow a woman to achieve the same standing as a man; a woman must be submissive she is not meant to be a leader. We have started with the traditional chiefs, the religious leaders, the high ranking persons at local level, so that they understand that with progress, a woman has something to do other than keep house.

At the national level we are lobbying heads of parties, as they do not generally place women (on party lists) When we make enough noise for a while they place them, but at the bottom of the list. We are also doing sensitisation through radio and television spots to encourage them to place enough women in good positions, as when a person is not well positioned she doesn't stand a chance of being elected.

Concerning the women themselves, who don't seem to appreciate their (own) abilities, we are sensitising them so that they understand that they don't only have to be supporters (of candidates) or campaigners for votes, but that they can lead as well

With the sensitisation of the population, we are also trying to show why the presence of women is important in the management of local affairs So, there's a variety of activities that we are carrying out; we are doing everything to enable women to decide (to run for office), and to be well positioned.

IPS: Are you providing particular assistance to women who choose to run as independents?

HA: The first, major (form of) support that we provide to women candidates in general is this campaign that started several months ago where we simply call on people to vote for women. Every woman candidate benefits from this campaign. As soon as women decide to run in elections, we train them in how to set up a campaign account, how to run a campaign, the issues of decentralisation and the role of elected women.

We also help them in the preparation of their candidacy applications, with advice -- but we aren't funding any of their activities, as we're apolitical and the law prevents us from involving ourselves in politics. Many women expect financial support from us, but the law does not allow it, and we don't have the resources, besides Our support is limited to assistance, to advice to lift their morale so that they don't become discouraged at the first insults, at the first mudslinging. This technical support is available to all women candidates, whether they are independents or on a party list.

IPS: Has the approach of G/PIFeD changed since the 2002 local elections? Were lessons learned then that can lead to more effective strategies?

HA: In 2002, some months before the elections we were already training women who told us they were going to be candidates. But, experience showed that (some of) those we trained didn't end up being candidates. This is why this time, to be more effective, we decided to wait for candidacies to be confirmed before training them (women aspirants)

We are doing sensitisation, lobbying, but the law does not oblige anyone to place women; this is why now, we are increasing our pressure on the president of the republic through his political movement -- the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin -- to obtain a quota. While we're waiting, many parties have promised us to position women well; we are waiting to see if this happens.

web allafrica.com	Enter your search terms	Submit search form
OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine


Use our pull-down menus to find more stories

Today's Most Active Stories