By: Moneer Al-Omari
As early as July, thousands of scholars held a grand gathering in Sana'a
and aimed at promoting and establishing an authority for protecting
virtue and combating vice in Yemen after they felt that virtue and
morals were in danger. They authority was named Virtue Promotion and
Vice Prohibition Authority.
Announcing the establishment of the authority was widely criticized by
thinkers, journalists, intellectuals and women, especially when they
considered this authority to be a watchdog on people. What is of concern
here is the unhappiness of women.
Further, Parliament, on August 18, rejected a bill of controversial
amendments to the election law, underscoring escalating tension between
the ruling party – the General People Congress and opposition parties
represented in Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).
Women unsatisfied
This attitude by the Virtue Authority and the disagreement among
political players aroused women's anger. Women's unhappiness on the
virtue authority is prompted by the stance its supporters took against
them particularly in a booklet published and entitled "Women Quota".
The leaflet did not recognize women's right to quota system and hinted
that it is not part of Islam. It further pointed out the different rules
and duties of women in Islamic societies.
In reaction, leading women activists held recently a meeting in Sana'a
themed "Quota is the Solution", as it aimed to support women's
nomination for the upcoming parliamentary elections. They also called
for adopting the proposal contained in President Saleh's electoral
platform which supports 15 percent quota during local or parliamentary
elections.
Involving 30 participants from different civil society organizations,
Woman National Committee (WNC) in collaboration with the Organization of
People's Will (OPW) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) met and
discussed the issue seriously.
The meeting sought to establish an alliance from WNC and other civil
society organizations involved in human rights and supporting women's
rights in political participation.
The participants asked President Ali Abdullah Saleh to direct political
players and parties headed by the ruling party – General People Congress
(GPC) – and Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) to work for amending elections
law upon which women are allowed into 15 percent of constituencies which
will be devoted solely to women nationwide.
They further stressed the importance for applying quota system in the
country as it is the only way for improving woman's participation in the
political life and decision making process.
Moreover, the participants affirmed that women should be given the right
to education at different levels, considering it to be the cornerstone
for woman's development and progress.
Similarly, a symposium themed "The Yemeni Woman: A Partner for Building
the Future" and organized in late August by the Organization of People's
Will emphasized the importance of women's participation in all walks of
life including political, cultural, social and educational fields,
assuring that this participation is the key condition for achieving real
development in the country.
A total of 18 working papers were presented, and they addressed the
vital roles women play in societies and also focused on the current
situation of women in the country and the means for upgrading their
political participation.
Attended by political parties' representatives, pressmen and human
rights activists, the two-day symposium pointed out the importance of
quota system and the media for promoting women's political
participation.
Participants called for re-assessment of the Yemeni laws and
constitution, especially those texts which restrict women from
participating in the different aspects of life, and stressed that these
legislations should treat males and females equally.
Stressing the importance of women's political involvement, participants
called on religious scholars and preachers to advocate women's rights
and reflect their key roles in their sermons, especially in matters
relating to society development.
Likewise, they also demanded that women should not be marginalized or
discriminated against for political, economic or social reasons, urging
political parties to avoid political overbidding which seeks to restrict
or deprive women from participation in the upcoming elections.
Parties' stances
According to observers, Islamic movements and parties allow women the
right to participate in the political life but do not accept them as
nominees for local or parliamentary elections. They demonstrate such a
stance by texts from the Holy Book (Quran) and Prophetic Traditions (Sunnah);
however, parties like Islah will accept them as voters as they feel that
women can make them outweigh their enemies in elections.
Accepting women as candidates has been also a debated issue among Islah
Party leaders. Conservative Islah members are against women's running
for any political posts, but moderate members do not object to such a
right.
In his book "Woman's Tenure in Sharia", written by prominent Islah
scholar Kaleb Al-Qurashi, he admits that the issue is widely debated
among scholars and religious figures as well as among same party
affiliates, referring to this in his party.
He told the Yemen Post in an interview that Islahi women are not
different from their fellow men, hinting that they are raised on
principles of propagation and Islamic values and do not run after
personal interests.
However, he never spoke about his party's stance of women participating
in the political field and only noted that there are no differences,
stressing they are not denied or deprived from any of their rights, so
that they react against the party or run after their personal interests.
As evidenced by happenings, parties like GPC find no problem in
nominating women during the different local or parliamentary elections;
but such a step is tied with the selected woman's popularity. Yemeni
Socialist Party (YSP) is the only party in Yemen that gives equal
opportunities for women and men during elections.
In this regard, several women activists believe that women themselves
are responsible for failure and disappointment of their fellow women
candidates, hinting that women need not to nominate themselves in
parties' names and can run as independents especially when they make up
49 percent of voters.
They also criticize political parties for failing to reach an agreement
over women's quota and percentage in local and parliamentary elections,
maintaining that these parties give no more than lip service to women.
Source: http://www.yemenpost.net/47/Reports/20081.htm
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