3-4 September 2014, Mbabane, Swaziland CPA Post-Election Seminar for the Parliament of Swaziland   3-4 September 2014, Mbabane, Swaziland Women In Parliament Hon. Chief Zwelivelile Mandela, MP, Republic of South Africa

Introduction Growth of any country’s democracy requires sustained active participation of all its citizens at all levels of decision-making – regardless of gender

Context For Women Participation Women involvement in Parliament is dependant on their level of participation in local political activities; Women are increasingly claiming their rightful part in local politics; Local environments sometimes unsupportive

Change of Policy Orientation The 1995 UN Beijing Conference on Women, changed the pattern and tone of discourse on the subject; Progressive nations started aligning their policies in line with the groundbreaking resolutions around the subject of women; A groundswell of support among progressive nations is observable;

Challenges on the Road to Parliament Changes in policy orientation have not resulted in corresponding support where it is needed most – grassroots levels

Obstacles to Equal Participation Women’s determination to venture into politics or leadership positions is conditioned by the constructs of their social identities, taking into account their social, cultural and material conditions;

Serious Impeding Factors Awareness of their rights and how to claim them; Access to information about relevant laws, policies, institutions and the structures which govern their lives; Lack of courage to challenge and confront existing power structures; and Confidence and self-esteem;

Cultural and Economic Obstacles Predetermined social roles as child-bearers and carers; Internal conflict due to differences in identity between the working woman in a ‘man’s world’ and domestic role as mother and wife;

Institutional and Psychological Barriers The perception still prevails among women themselves that leadership roles are the domain for men; It is in societies that nurture this perception that the spirit of Beijing Resolutions and national policies supporting women empowerment should filter down;

Recommendations Targeted interventions designed to effect changes at organisation levels; Interventions should address social, cultural and educational constraints affecting women in their design ; Address the array of imbalances that still exist in the private and public sector; There must be policies that would guarantee that a targeted number of women would be included; Development of training programmes, to equip women to negotiate political situations;

Conclusion The exclusion of women from leadership positions in all spheres of society presents an obstacle to achieving a true democracy; The women empowerment agenda should be incorporated into the mainstream government programme;   Women participation will undoubtedly strengthen the cause of democracy.