မျှဝေပါ

THE exclusive launching ceremony of “The Guidelines for Political Parties in Myanmar on Gender Equality-A Shortcut to Development and Prosperity” was held at the Grand Amara Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

Myanmar School of Politics (MySoP) organized the launching event, and officials from the commission office and Netherlands Embassy in Yangon, political parties and non-governmental organizations, and invited guests attended it.

Speaking at the event, Union Election Chairman U Hla Thein said that the fundamental principle of democracy “equality of every citizen” is being prioritized in democratic countries.

The rights to vote and to be voted are parts of the human rights that are eligible for all gender.

Regarding the women’s participation in the previous elections, the UEC Chairman said there were 127 women candidates in all 3,069 candidates in the 2010 general election, and the women’s candidates selected in Hluttaw was 1.4 per cent.

In 2015 General Election, the women’s candidacy reached to 800 in all 6,038 candidates and the women selected in Hluttaw 13 per cent, he added.

The UEC Chairman also urged political parties to promote the women’s participation in the general election.

Myanmar signed The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1997, and the UEC was implementing the electoral producers that are included in the CEDAW including the rights to vote and be elected to promote gender equality and women’s role.

Regarding the gender equality, the UEC assigned its duties to 26 per cent of women in regions/states level sub-commissions, 16 per cent in district level and 15 per cent in township level. The employment of women staff at the offices of the commissions and the sub-commissions reached to 58 per cent.

The UEC Chairman then urged political parties to emphasize women’s participation in submitting the lists of parliamentary candidates. The launched book would assist political parties in promoting gen-der equality, he added.

Afterwards, Ms Linda van der Horst, the Representative from Embassy of the Netherlands in Myanmar, and former Member of Indonesian Parliament, Ms. Eva Kusuma Sundari, made concluding remarks.

MNA

(Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)

PHOTO: MNA

Ref; The Global New Light Of Myanmar