Women in Politics: Women’s Quota Law is not enough [Archives:2008/1187/Local News]

By: Salma Ismail
Sana'a, August 31) The Women's National Committee (WNC) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) organized a meeting this week to talk about increasing women's participation in politics through a variety of factors.

In recent years, though more women have chosen to run for election as candidates, more appointed to government positions at a national, state, and local level, progress is nonetheless slow.

Hooria Mashoor Ahmed Kaid, the Deputy Director of the WNC, stated that the number one obstacle to women achievement in the political arena is the recommendation law. The law she is referring to states a woman needs to have a recommendation, which is a requirement for nomination, with a minimum of 300 signatures.

According to Mashoor, best way to achieve the prescribed quota of women in politics is to “put pressure on the ruling party to change this law”” while supporting and encouraging independent women candidates. The meeting's participants agreed that one of the main obstacles to women's representation lies in the process of candidate selection and recommendation. They called on political parties to name their women candidates while also pressuring political parties to change the law.

There was still strong support at the meeting for the application and fulfillment of Women's Quota Law in elected bodies. In September 2007