DUSHANBE, March 5, Asia-Plus – Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has published report “Women in Parliaments”, which contains information about percentage of women in each national parliament in 2006.
According to the report, women last year accounted on average for 20 seats in parliaments. In 1995, percentage of women in the lower or single house averaged 11 percent.
The data has been compiled by the IPU on the basis of information provided by national parliaments by January 31 2007. 189 countries are classified by descending order of the percentage of women in the lower or single House.
Tajikistan with 17.5 percent is ranked 62nd. In Tajikistan, women account for 17.5 percent (11 seats) in the 63-seat Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament). Besides, women also account for 12.5 percent of seats in the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber) and 11.5 percent in local legislatures (Majlis).
In neighboring Afghanistan, women account for 27.3 percent of seats parliament.
In Uzbekistan, women account for 17.5 percent in parliament, in Turkmenistan – 16 percent and Kazakhstan – 104 percent. There is no any woman in Kyrgyzstan’s parliament.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is an international organization established in 1889 by William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom) and Frederic Passy (France). It was the first permanent forum for political multilateral negotiations. Initially, the organization was for individual parliamentarians, but has since transformed into an international organization of the Parliaments of sovereign States. 143 national parliaments are members of the IPU, and seven regional parliamentary assemblies are associate members.
The Majlisi Oli – Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan – is the highest representative and legislative agency of Tajikistan. Majlisi Oli consists of two majlises – Majlisi Milli (National Majlis) and Majlisi Namoyandagon (Majlis of Representatives). Powers of the Majlisi Milli and the Majlisi Namoyandagon shall terminate on the day of the activity of the Majlisi Oli of new convocation
The Majlisi Namoyandagon shall be elected on the basis of universal, free, equal, and direct elections by means of secret ballot. The Majlisi Namoyandagon shall be professional and function on a permanent basis. Citizens not younger than 25 years shall be elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
Three-fourths of the total number of deputies of the Majlisi Milli shall be elected at joint meetings of people’s deputies of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region and its towns and districts, regions and their towns and districts, Dushanbe city and its districts, towns and districts subordinate to the center, on the basis of indirect elections by means of secret ballot. The Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region, regions, Dushanbe City, towns and districts subordinate to the center have an equal number of representatives in the Majlisi Milli. One fourth of the members of the Majlisi Milli shall be appointed by the President of Tajikistan. The Majlisi Milli shall function on a basis of convocation.
