DUSHANBE, February 18, 2010, Asia-Plus — Coalition of public associations, From Legal Equality to Actual Equality, will give a news conference at the Center for Strategic Studies in Dushanbe on February 19.
The coalition chairperson, Ms. Tatiana Bozrikova, told Asia-Plus today that the main objective of the event is to draw attention of media and voters to issues related to the promotion of women in lawmaking organs and women nominated as candidates for parliament by public associations.
“The coalition of public associations draws attention to the fact that despite efforts taken to boost the number of women in leading positions and state guarantees of gender balance in all branches of power provided for by the country’s law on state guarantees of equal rights for men and women and equal opportunities for their Implementation, men are continuing to prevail in decision-making centers,” said Bozrikova, “Therefore, the coalition calls on voters to support women candidates and promote increase in the number of women in the lawmaking organs.”
Compared to the 2005 parliamentary elections a share of women nominated as candidates for the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) has not changed and remained at the level of 15 percent, she added.
According to the coalition, 37 women have been registered as canddiates fro parliament on political party lists and in single-mandate constituencies. The People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) nominated 14 women as candidates for parliament, Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) – 7 women, the Communist Party (CPT), the Agrarian Party (APT), the Social-Democratic Party (SDPT) and the Party of Economic Reforms – 2 women each, and the Socialist Party (SPT) nominated one woman as candidate for parliament. Of the total number people registered as candidates for parliament and local legislatures, 10 are representatives of the coalition.
We will recall that a total of 15 women out of 73 candidates have been registered on political party lists, although most of them are low in the lists and stand little chance of being elected.
