Inclusivity & Credible Elections: Ensuring Participatio - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Inclusivity & Credible Elections: Ensuring Participation of Vulnerable/Marginalised Groups

By

Hajia

Bilkisu

Yusuf,

mni

Paper Presented at the Workshop

Organised

by West

Africa

Network for

Peacebuilding

(WANEP)

Chelsea Hotel Abuja March 12-13 2014Slide2

IntroductionThe universally accepted factors that make for Inclusivity and Credibility of elections:

Universal suffrage

Secret ballot

Level playing field

Independent and Unbiased Umpire

Democratic Political Parties/Platform for

mobilisation

and contest Slide3

Vulnerable Groups

There are many vulnerable groups in the country

Vulnerability is measured in terms of the level of denial of rights,

marginalisation

, invisibility,

voicelessness

, illiteracy, poverty, lack of access to resources

and decision making

etc

,

The main categories of vulnerable population that will feature in this presentation are, Women, Youth and the DisabledSlide4

Inclusivity In Electoral Processes

Electoral processes as a critical foundation for democracy have to be inclusive

i

. e.

Ensure

the marginalised have a voice on issues where they are directly or indirectly affected, and that they will benefit from any

changes

Such changes must focus on correcting exclusion of vulnerable groups by creating the enabling environment for Inclusivity

Removal of barriers to effective participation and

Affirmative actionSlide5

Women and the Electoral Process

Women constitute half of the population of the country, and make up 64% of voters but have about 6% of representation in national government.

Women’s numerical strength has not translated into improved representation and under representation of women in both appointive and elective office negates the principles of democracy.

ECOSOC and the Beijing Platform for Action recommend 30% affirmative action to correct

marginalisation

of women in politics and public

life

The National Gender Policy recommends 35% affirmative Action

1Slide6

A History Marginalisation

T

he

right to vote and be voted

for was

granted

to women in Southern Nigeria

as far back as

1958 and men in 1922

Women in the Northern Nigeria were granted the right to vote only in 1979

Women currently occupy

only 10% of ministerial positions and 7% of legislative positions at the national level

,

This is the

lowest in West Africa.

The exception is Enugu

State in the South-East

which has

the highest number of women in its legislature – 40%,

I

n 13

of the

36

states, women are visibly missing from their

legislature.

Eleven

of these states are found in the N

orthern states Slide7

Under Representation of Women

The President,

Vice President, Senate President, Speaker House

of

Representatives and

a

ll 36 Governors are all men.

There are 3 women Deputy Governors to 33 men

In the House of Representatives, there are 26 women to 360 men

In the Senate, 7 women to 107men

In the Houses of Assembly 62 women to 990 men

Women’s

representation in elective governance

structure at

the national level

is currently 7.1% (2011 elections)

A slight decrease from

7.5%

recorded in

2007

elections

. 2

Slide8

Identifying the barriers

The National Coalition for Affirmative Action NCAA has been in the fore front in identifying the causes of women’s poor showing in elections.

They include:

monetisation

of politics, politics of mudslinging and violence, undemocratic political parties,

marginalisation

of women due to patriarchy, socio-cultural practices, and electoral malpractice

etc

,

3

Slide9

The Indigeneity Barrier

Female aspirants are told that by marrying outside their Local Governments of birth they have lost their

i

ndigeneity

.

Women

who are married to men who are non-indigenes of the LGAs where they live and work suffer systematic discrimination in their husband’s constituency.

They

are told that they do not really belong because

Indigeneity

is based on the consanguinity (blood relation) principle.

NCAA 2010 ibidSlide10

Slow Progress to Gender Parity

From 2007election to 2011 Progress

from 3% to 6.5% in 2007 is totally unacceptable – just too low

Structural barriers

remains

eg

violence, money bags, patriarchy, manipulation, zoning

etc

Opposition is key – strong – external and internal dynamics

of political parties and

the democratic process

suffers

2011 primaries is one election where money has played a terribly visible role

Primaries were guided and guarded

Political parties lack internal

democracy

Women Trust FundSlide11

People with Disabilities

There are over

19 million

Persons With Disabilities PWD

in the country

.

Their national coalition is the

Joint

National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD

)

Members

include the leaders of the six clusters of disability communities - the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, and people with mental and physical disabilities, spinal cord injuries and leprosy.

Since

independence in 1960,

people with disabilities

have found it very difficult to be mainstreamed in the political and electoral processes in Nigeria.

4Slide12

Barriers to Electoral Processes

Elections, in particular, are often

characterised

by violence, chaos and intimidation

Fear of

stigmatisation

and

marginalisation

kept many of

PWD

away from the polling booths to be counted and represent their views.

Electoral materials

are not

accessible to all

PWD

in appropriate formats,

such as

Braille, audio cassettes and/or compact discs (CDs) for the

blind

Polling

booths

are not

accessible.

Civic

education

is not disability friendly

E

lectoral

registration particulars

have no

information on

disability

5

Slide13

Breaking Grounds for the Disabled

Between 1960 and today, some progress has been recorded

Electoral Act in 2002

recognised

the place of persons with disabilities in the election process.

Inroads have been made by persons with disabilities, some of whom have contested elections under different political

platforms

A Governor with impaired hearing has been elected to office in the 2011 electionSlide14

Youth In Nigeria

The term youth defines that segment of the population comprising young people who fall between ages 18 and 35

Nigeria has a high youth population

The youth make up 44% of the population. This segment of Nigeria

’

s population is growing rapidly;

The youth

are the future

leaders and

must

be empowered

to

become

good leaders

.

Nigerian Youth Movement contributed immensely in the struggle for independence

6Slide15

Challenges Facing the Youth

M

any

young people can safely move into adulthood, the transition involves many challenges,

Among them are

insufficient access to education, lack of economic opportunities, inability to fully exercise their citizenship and rights,

H

armful

gender norms, and harmful psycho-social conditions;

High

youth un-employability is a major development challenge in Nigeria

.

The situation is heightened by the increasing incidents of cultism, apathy and disenfranchisement among Nigerian

youths

7

Slide16

Marginalisation of the Youth

Research shows exclusion of Youth from electoral productive electoral processes

High rate of recruitment of youth into violence,

thuggery

, election rigging

Political exclusion through lack of civic education is high among

vulnerable

young people,

married adolescents, street children, young sex workers, displaced youth, adolescent orphans, young injecting drug users, young people who are trafficked, and domestic

servants

8

Slide17

Strategies for Challenging Vulnerability

Encouraging Synergy

Shares

opportunities to drive change with those working on complementary issues, towards generating critical

mass

Women, Youth and People with disabilities articulating the demand for change through policy review that is cross cutting e. g. gender and electoral reform, gender and Constitution review

Violence Against

P

ersons Bill

and Equal Opportunities BillSlide18

Women Demand

NCAA articulates Women’s demand

Implement residency clause

Make elections free and fair

Reposition INEC to be independent

Transparent and fair judicial resolution of electoral disputes

Mainstream gender in electoral process

Democratise

the political parties

Eliminate violence

Strengthen the police Slide19

Affirmative Action

Entrenchment of the gender character principle in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 through the review of sections 14(3) and 147 respectively;

The adoption of the twinning mechanism at all levels of governance (female/male appointment/nomination where the head is female and deputy is a man or vice versa);

35% appointive positions in the leadership structures of Governing Boards, Agencies and

Parastatals

at local, state and federal levels;

State Governors to consciously support the emergence of more female candidates towards the 2011 general elections;

State Houses of Assembly revisit and adopt recommendations for gender responsive reforms in the draft amendments to the Constitution. Slide20

Demand for Nigerian Youth

Legislators should pass laws to ensure that companies within their constituencies to be part of the empowerment program to embrace quota for youth employment.

Peace Campaigns targeting youth

groups within communities to

avoid election violence through

education,

economic

empowermen

,

capacity building and mentoring.

Government should implement national youth policy.

I

ncrease

funding of rehabilitation program for

youth

victims of drug addiction

..

Government should implement and enforce laws against human trafficking and provide adequate rehabilitation programs for trafficked

persons

WDN/ IRI 2010

 Slide21

Youth Empowerment Programmes

Fund

initiatives harnessing the energy and creative power of young people through well designed projects for youths between the ages of 18-30.

Address youth unemployment in the country through work readiness and entrepreneurial projects

Focus on confidence building, leadership and mentorship training for

youths

Provide

marketable vocational skills training to youths in rural

communities

Implement Projects

in

tertiary institutions on strengthening existing job

centres

and career development

programmes

TYD 2010 Slide22

People with Disabilities Demand

The 1999 constitution does not contain any non-discriminatory clause on

disability. Amend it to include this

Section 57 of the 2006 Electoral Act which provides for participation of persons with disabilities, is ineffective as it is unenforceable.

The 1999

constitution should be reviewed to provide for at least 10 percent affirmative action for persons with disabilities and a non-discriminatory clause

.

Section 57)2) of the 2006 Electoral Act should be made mandatory and a new subsection should be added therein to provide for separate queue or priority voting for persons with disabilities similar to section 52 of the Act

.

(

Basharu

ibid) Slide23

Provide Special Electoral Materials

Electoral materials should be designed to make them accessible to all persons with disabilities in appropriate formats, especially in Braille, audio cassettes and/or compact discs (CDs) for the blind and Polling booths should be made

accessible

Civic

education should be conducted in a disability friendly manner which is inclusive of persons with disabilities.

E

lectoral

registration particulars should include information on disability and INEC should train personnel to be able to attend to persons with disabilities.

Basharu

ibidSlide24

General Recommendations

M

ake

the funding of INEC a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund based on nationally agreed criteria;

S

trengthen

the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission ICPC with powers of investigation and prosecution of corrupt politicians and citizens.Slide25

Promote AccountabilityE

nforcement

of the electoral law that ensures internally democratic political party systems, party funding and condemns political violence to be enforced particularly by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), government and security

agencies

The development and implementation of internal mechanisms for the implementation of party

manifestos

IRI/ WDN 2011

Slide26

Points to Ponder and Remember

‘A nation that is not Engendered is a Nation Endangered’

Women’s Democracy Network, Nigeria

Will

women change power or will power change women?

Marie

C. Wilson Closing the Leadership Gap Viking 2004 USASlide27

References

National Gender Policy- Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Abuja

2

. Lance-

Onyeiwu

, M (2011), Excerpts from UN Women’s Preliminary Analysis of the Results of the 2011 General Elections in

Nigeria

3. National Coalition for Affirmative Action- 2010-cited in Bilkisu Yusuf 2010

The

Role of Civil Society in Promoting Women’s Participation in Elections. Presented at the Festschrift Conference ,

Faculty

of Arts and Social Sciences,

Bayero

University, Kano. October, 18

2010

Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development 2010 RESOLUTION

OF THE NATIONAL

SUMMIT

ON

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN

POLITICS Abuja June 2010

4.

Danlami

Basharu

2008 - National

President,

Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD

) Paper presented

ELECTORAL REFORM COMMITTEE – PUBLIC HEARING

FRIDAY, 16

TH

MAY 2008

Abuja

Call to

Action: Increase

Investments for Young People's Health and Development

Honorable

Saudatu

Sani

read the Call to Action at the closing on Tuesday, April 29,

2008

5

6. Bilkisu Yusuf -2009 Exploring our Commonalities- Paper presented at the NIREC

Summit

for

Nigeria Youth

on Inter

-Religious Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence

at

Minna

, Niger State

7.

T.Y.Danjuma

Foundation 2010 – Call for Proposal

TDFoundation

Abuja

8Women Democracy Network 2011—

Communique

issued at the End of a Three Day Workshop with Women Politicians and Civil Society Groups Supported by International Republican Institute IRI.

Transcorp

Hilton Hotel, Abuja February 1-3 2011

 Slide28

Bibliography

Bibliography

1.Redefining

Winning

– Paper presented by

Otive

I

gbuzor

in

Honour

of women leaders

organised

by GAA Chelsea Hotel Abuja

2.Public

dialogue on ‘Political Party Regulation: Gender Perspectives’ organized by the Gender and Affirmative Action (GAA) IBP with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). March 22 2010 Abuja

3.The

Heinrich Boll Foundation Nigeria Dialogue on Gender Quotas in Political Structures: Advocacy Strategies for Adoption by Political Parties, May 06, 2010 at the Denis Hotel, Abuja

4.

The Nigeria Women’s Fund: Creativity, Capacity and Credibility

Amina

Salihu

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Communiqué

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Committee GEM

Political Committee Meeting

Held

at the Senate Hearing Room National Assembly

on

the 4

th

of May 2009