New Report on Women's Political Participation in Latin American Politics

Theb report "30 Years of Democracy: Riding the Wave? Women’s Political Participation in Latin America" examines the progress made in women’s participation at all levels of public and party decision making, in the three decades since the start of the third wave of democratization in Latin America, drawing on data from 18 countries in the region. The report also examines the extent to which women are present in political office and party systems.

The authors argue that in spite of democracy’s third wave taking root in Latin America, the leading role of women in the social sphere did not translate into the political sphere, real progress is highly uneven and limited to only some countries.. However, the recent rise to power of two female presidents has generated new levels of attention to women’s political participation. While gains have been made, they have not been uniform across countries or in power venues. Some positive aspects in women’s participation have included four women winning the presidency in their countries by political vote (Panama, Chile, Argentina, and Nicaragua), and women holding more cabinet posts across the region (24.5%).

The reports goes beyond the numbers, analyzing why some countries have been able to advance further than others and identifying some of the continuing obstacles encountered by women. It presents recommendations for improving the situation of women in public life including:

+ Introducing electoral reforms that guarantee more effective application of affirmative action measures for election to public office in countries in which such measures exist;
+ Getting the issue of affirmative action onto the public agenda in countries where such measures have not yet been introduced;
+ Working for real democratization of political parties by encouraging practices that allow women to participate as active members and leaders under truly equitable conditions;
+ Studying and implementing reforms to incorporate gender criteria into regulations on political financing, as well as gender-oriented criteria for access to resources and control of spending by political parties;
+ Encouraging strategies for supporting women who hold elected office, through the creation women’s networks; and
+ Working with the media to eliminate their chauvinistic view of politics and urging them to put gender issues on their agenda and provide equal coverage of female candidates

Text Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance / International IDEA, 2008.

Decentralization and Democracy: A Global Perspective in 2007

This paper is the concluding chapter to the first Global Review of Decentralization and Local Democracy (GOLD) of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in Barcelona. The GOLD report consists of nine chapters, seven regional reviews, each prepared by experts from the respective region, together with a chapter on metropolitan governance. The c. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 13, 2008
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European firms accelerate compliance with global anti-corruption standards

A series of bribery investigations at leading European companies has helped to accelerate compliance with global anti-corruption standards as managers recognize the risk to their brands and reputations, legal analysts and international regulators say. IHT, May 7. By Nicola Clark.

Added by  Boris Demidov  May 8, 2008
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OECD Irish Public Service Report: The Buck Still Stops Nowhere; Brian Cowen has no record of challenging conventional wisdom

The key message of the recently published OECD report on the Irish Public Service, is not that Irish public sector workers cannot produce outputs comparable with private sector counterparts or that the quality of some public services are not of an acceptable international standard but that the political and senior management have been seriously lac. . .

Added by  Boris Demidov  May 7, 2008
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Pay for honesty? Lessons on wages and corruption from public hospitals

Theft, graft, absenteeism and soliciting bribes in the health sector in developing countries is often blamed on low pay. But does low pay actually explain corruption? Several studies of public hospitals in Latin America suggest otherwise. In particular, they show that low pay may contribute to corruption; however, without some form of monitoring to. . .

Added by  Boris Demidov  May 7, 2008
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KOSOVO: No Freedom from Corruption

The report ‘Fighting Corruption With Rhetoric’ published in early May by the Pristina-based NGO ‘Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dignity’ (COHU) says that by the beginning of April when the Thaci government completed its first 100 days (since it took office Jan. 9), the government has failed in all its promises. The report says the government has . . .

Added by  Boris Demidov  May 6, 2008
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Dubai eGovernment Showcases Key Achievements at ITU Regional Symposium on eGovernment and IP

Dubai eGovernment showcased its key achievements at the International Telecommunications Union Regional Symposium on eGovernment and Internet Protocol (IP) that was held for the first time in Dubai from November 22 to 25, 2004.

Added by  Eliachim Ishimwe  April 30, 2008
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JOB: Consultants - Local Governance in Asia, UNDP (Asia Region)

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) seeks expressions of interest from experienced individual researchers, consultants or firms to undertake both short and long term assignments in Asia and the Pacific in one or more of the following areas: 1) Local government planning, budgeting & financial management; 2) Local small-scale rural in. . .

Added by  Boris Demidov  April 30, 2008
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REPORT: TI calls on leading oil and gas companies to increase revenue transparency

A majority of leading oil and gas companies are far from transparent when it comes to the payments they make to resource-rich countries, leaving the door open to corruption and hampering efforts to fight poverty, according to a report published on April 28 by Transparency International (TI). The 2008 Report on Revenue Transparency of Oil and Gas . . .

Added by  Boris Demidov  April 28, 2008
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Women, Political Parties and Electoral Systems in Latin America

This case study analyses how political parties and electoral systems shape women’s opportunities to gain access to power in Latin America. In the past 15 years, many of the region’s parties have made significant efforts to promote women. Eleven countries in the region adopted quota laws for women’s candidacies and a 12th, Colombia, has introduc. . .

Added by  Carmen Villegas Caballero  April 28, 2008
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Social Capital and Political Participation in Latin America

This paper explores the role of social capital and other causal factors in promoting political participation in Latin America. I attempt to assess the rates of political participation as well as stocks of social capital in Latin America when set in global perspective. I endeavor to determine the importance of social capital for promoting political . . .

Added by  Carmen Villegas Caballero  April 28, 2008
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