Women lawmakers in the National Assembly have been more active and assertive in their lawmaking and oversight role compared to their male counterparts, says a performance analysis released by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on International Women’s Day. FAFEN’s direct observation of the National Assembly proceedings shows that the women lawmakers accounted for nearly half of the parliamentary business conducted between June 2014 and February 2015 – despite the fact that they represent only 22% of the total membership.
The National Assembly includes 69 women members – eight elected on general seats, 60 on reserved seats for women and one on reserved seat for non-Muslims. Despite their underrepresentation, women have actively participated in the parliamentary business and remained more assertive compared to male members in the Lower House of the Parliament. They have proven to work effectively in collaboration with male members of their parties as well as other parties by jointly submitting calling attention notices, resolutions, private bills and other parliamentary business.
The performance analysis has been prepared by FAFEN’s Parliament Watch and Reforms Program, which aims to collect and publish information related to the performance of MNAs, MPAs and senators by observing their actions in the legislatures. The unique aspect of FAFEN’s methodology is direct observation of parliamentary proceedings. FAFEN deploys trained observers to the legislatures in order to monitor the institution’s performance using a detailed standardized checklist covering all types of parliamentary business. The information gathered is measured against the neutral and objective framework of the rules of parliamentary procedure.
FAFEN’s report analyses participation of women in various types of parliamentary business which are admissible under the Lower House’s Rules of Business. The participation is assessed on the basis of directly observable interventions in the House. This indicates that there may in fact be more submissions from female members which were not presented in the House during the reporting period.
The women parliamentarians put up 1,256 parliamentary interventions during the reporting period. FAFEN defines a parliamentary intervention as an instance when a member of the National Assembly either submits an agenda item on the Orders of the Day (calling attention notices, questions, private members’ bills, etc.) or raises his/her concerns during a debate on the floor of the House (points of order, supplementary questions, debate on adjournment motions etc.).
Despite the fact that eight women parliamentarians refrained from any form of participation, the remaining lawmakers contributed to almost half of the parliamentary business during the reporting period. Women members sponsored 17 private member bills – seven in their individual capacity and 10 jointly with other members. Last year, the women parliamentarians had moved nine private members’ bills individually and six with other male and female members.
Similarly, women lawmakers individually moved 17 resolutions, 21 calling attention notices, 1,135 questions, and 13 motions under Rule 259 during the reporting period.
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