A balanced representation
of men and women in EMB’s Boards and Secretariats is key to promote inclusive
election management.
Boards in EMBs are
responsible for policy decision-making. Women should be included in their
composition to ensure fair representation and inclusive election management.
The selection or appointment process varies depending on the country. In some
cases, EMBs adopt TSM, including gender quotas, to ensure women’s
representation in the Board.[1]
As the policy
implementation arm of EMBs, Secretariats should ensure a gender-balanced
composition of electoral staff at all levels, including temporary polling
staff. Depending on the model of EMB, the staff of the Secretariat can range
from temporary civil service appointments to career professionals in election
administration. Whereas in governmental EMBs the Secretariat staff is generally
composed of public servants appointed by the executive, in independent EMBs the
Secretariat staff is frequently appointed according to their own recruitment
procedures and employment conditions. When there is a male prevalence among
electoral staff, it is important that EMBs commit to improve women’s
representation. EMBs can take measures to promote women’s inclusion in
recruitment processes and ensure they are offered same career development
opportunities as men. Some of the strategies EMBs can adopt to promote equal
employment opportunities include adopting official policies on this matter,
inviting applications from women in the job description, disseminating job
advertisements among women’s networks and establishing gender-balanced
selection panels, among others.[2]
Example: In Bolivia, the legal framework establishes the composition
of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). It is composed of seven members, of
whom at least two must be of indigenous origin and at least three must be
women.[3]
Example: In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the election law states that the
“composition of an election commission shall in general reflect the equal
representation of both genders”. According to the interpretation of this legal
provision, each gender must comprise at least 40 percent of the total number of
members of the Election Commission. Furthermore, the Gender Equality Law
forbids any discrimination on gender grounds in recruitment, employment and
employment benefits, including in the EMB. According to the election law
“efforts shall be made to ensure that the number of members of the sex that is
less represented within the Municipal Election Commission and Polling Station
Committee reaches a minimum of 40 percent of the total number of members.”[4]
Example: In Iraq, the electoral law requires that the Board of
Commissioners, composed of nine persons, include at least two women.[5]
Example: In Kyrgyzstan, the election law requires that membership of
the Central Election Commission has no more than 70 percent of the same sex.[6]
Example: In Kenya, the law establishing the Electoral Commission
states that not more than two thirds of employees may be of the same gender.[7]
Example: In Cameroon, priority is given to women in the recruitment
process for the position of presiding officers in voting centers.[8]
Example: In Ethiopia, although there is no regulation on this matter,
there is a strong practice of assigning at least two female electoral officers
out of five in each of the voting centers.[9]
Example: In Nepal, the Election Commission’s guidelines state that at
least half of voter registration enumerators, voter education volunteers and
community mobilizers should be women. Each voting center must have a woman to
mark the fingers of voters and another woman to manage the women’s line.[10]
Example: In Pakistan, women are appointed as presiding officers in
all female polling stations and also in some
of the mixed polling stations.
The Government of Pakistan prescribed a 10 percent quota for women at entry
level, which applies to full-time staff in the Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP).[11]
Example: In Canada, Elections Canada is required by law to analyze
its workforce to identify gaps in gender representation. This analysis is
assessed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which then provides recommendations
for EC to develop the necessary corrective measures through an employment
equity plan. Failure to ensure gender representation in the workforce opens
organizations under federal jurisdiction to fines of up to 10,000 CAD for a
single violation, or up to 50,000 CAD for repeated or continued violations. EC
attained gender parity in its workforce, with 56 percent of its staff being
women. Women in executive positions account for 50 percent. These numbers date
from April 2018.[12]
For more information on
this topic, please see related content of the ACE Project, including:
[1] UNDP and UN Women
(2016): op. cit., p. 29.
[2] UNDP and UN Women
(2016): op. cit., p. 29.
[3] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 30.
[4] UNDP and UN Women
(2016): op. cit., p. 30.
[5] UNDP and UN Women
(2016): op. cit., p. 30.
[6] UNDP and UN Women
(2016): op. cit., p. 30.
[7] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 32.
[8] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 34.
[9] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 34.
[10] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 34.
[11] UNDP and UN Women (2016): op. cit., p. 34.
[12] Information submitted by
Elections Canada in July 2018.
