Women and Elections: Guide to Promoting the Participation of Women in Elections

This handbook is intended as a quick reference guide for organisations working to promote the participation of women in the electoral process in post-conflict countries. The handbook describes the opportunities for expanding women's involvement at each of the key stages of the electoral process, and includes a set of general recommendations.

Recommendations for each stage of the election process are covered in a separate chapter:

  Chapter 1: General Overview
  Chapter 2: The Legal Framework
  Chapter 3: Political Participation
  Chapter 4: Voter Registration
  Chapter 5: Voter and Civil Education
  Chapter 6: Election Administration
  Chapter 7: Election Observation

In addition to specific recommendations for each of the above processes, the authors offer the following general guidelines:

• Adhere to international standards for the protection of women's civil and political rights.
• Include women as members of delegations to peace negotiations and in bodies created for the implementation of peace accords, including those responsible for the development of new electoral processes.
• Carefully design and implement new laws and electoral processes to ensure and enhance women's participation and to effectively increase the possibility of women being elected.
• Make certain that the practical aspects and details of the electoral process do not indirectly discriminate against women.
• Consider adopting temporary special measures such as quotas.
• Require or encourage political parties to nominate and support women candidates, in part by placing them high enough on their candidate lists to be elected.
• Ensure that refugee and internally displaced women enjoy the right to vote.
• Create platforms to ensure women's voices and concerns are heard.
• Design and conduct voter registration and education campaigns addressing women.