On 23 March 2021 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) has participated and contributed to the parliamentary meeting organized by UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), dedicated to “What will it take to reach gender parity in political participation in a post-COVID-19 world?”. The event took place on the occasion of the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The meeting was opened by the UN Women Executive Director, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and the IPU Secretary General, H.E. Martin Chungong.
Despite increases in the number of women at the highest levels of political power, widespread gender inequalities persist, according to the 2021 edition of the IPU–UN Women meeting.
In her opening remarks, the UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed that no country prospers without the engagement of women. The world needs women’s representation that reflects all women and girls in all their diversity and abilities, and across all cultural, social, economic, and political situations. She added that the COVID-19 pandemic shows us that we still need bold, decisive action across the world to bring women into the heart of the decision-making spaces in large numbers and as full partners. “There is no doubt this can and should be done. It should be done now.” Said Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka.
IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said that this year’s growth in the number of women in political decision-making is just not good enough. Especially when we consider that 70 per cent of health, care, and service workers during this pandemic are women. “It’s up to all of us, both men and women, to keep pushing for greater representation of women in politics. We have the tools to make it happen. What we need now is the political will.”said Mr. Chungong.
PAM was represented by Hon. Marie-Noëlle Gibelli, Monaco, and Hon. Joana Lima, Portugal. In her intervention, Hon. Lima spoke on behalf of PAM and shared national experiences to support gender equality, such as the law on parity voted in 2006. Moreover, she emphasized the role played by PAM in supporting gender equality in parliamentary institutions, the creation of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum, which was announced on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021. Hon. Lima has also made reference to the proposal, made by a PAM Member State, Italy, relative to the amendment of the PAM Statutes in order to have at least one representative of each gender in PAM national delegations, the proposal is scheduled for voting process during PAM 15th Plenary Session in June.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed societies and individuals to unknown challenges, which have exacerbated persistent obstacles and affected the most vulnerable segment of the population. It is PAM’s conviction that women have proved to be a real strength in order to address the pandemic, as leaders and as key workers, particularily in the health sector where women represent 70% of the workers. However, it is necessary to highlight that women have also been the first victims of this crisis, economically, socially and politically.
While congratulating the progress made since several years, participants emphasized the setbacks caused by the pandemic in terms of gender equality and parity in political participation. Several evidence of regression have been put forward, such as the increase in the number of countries with a lack of female representation in decision-making positions or the rise of online violence on women involved in politics.