Election observation can
contribute to democratic development through the collection of information on
the electoral process, the assessment of its quality considering the domestic
legal framework and international standards, and constructive recommendations
to improve future elections. It can be instrumental in deterring fraud and
malpractice by exposing those problems if they occur, as well as in increasing
the credibility of the process by building trust among relevant stakeholders.
Election observation consists of the:
“[…] Independent, systematic and
comprehensive evaluation of legal frameworks, institutions, processes and the
political environment related to elections; impartial, accurate and timely
analysis of findings; the characterization of the findings based on the highest
ethical standards for impartiality and accuracy; the offering of appropriate recommendations
for obtaining genuine democratic elections; and advocating for improvements in
legal frameworks for elections, their implementation through electoral related
administration and removal of impediments to full citizen participation in
electoral and political processes.”[1]
While credible domestic
and international election observers share the common goal of contributing to
democracy strengthening, there are some fundamental differences among them.
Domestic observers usually have in-depth knowledge of their country and its
political situation, and are often able to mobilize a greater number of
volunteers, resulting in lower deployment costs and a wider reach. They are
also better able to reach remote locations that international observers can hardly
access. International observers, on the other hand, usually have
well-established methodologies and comparative knowledge from elections in
other countries. They also attract more attention from the media and national
authorities, and in repressive contexts they normally have more freedom than
domestic observers to report their findings without fear of retaliation.[2]
In
the last decades, election observation has started to integrate a long-term
perspective, as opposed to focusing exclusively on Election Day operations and
procedures. There is an increasing consensus on the fact that election
observation should not only consider the Election Day, but also other key
stages of the electoral process, such as the legal framework, voter
registration, the verification of results or election complaints, among others.
Although there is no one-fit-all model, the structure of election observations
missions can be articulated at different levels, according to each
organization’s requirements and the needs assessment. First, the core team or
group of experts might analyze available information, write reports and make
recommendations for improvement. Second, long-term observers might be deployed
to different areas of responsibility, in order to gather information on the electoral
process across the country. Domestic and international election observation
missions increasingly integrate long-term observers in their structure,
allowing for a wider scope of observation that integrates different stages of
the electoral cycle. Third, short-term observers can be deployed for a shorter
period if required, to observe integrity of procedures and operations during
Election Day.
Election observation
efforts can also “improve the implementation of the human rights of women and
help to enhance their participation in electoral processes. Comprehensive
observation should include an assessment of how all elements of an election
process affect women as well as men. Targeted observation efforts can focus
specifically on aspects of women’s participation in elections.” [3]
Although including a gender expert in the mission’s structure is considered as
good practice in election observation, most missions mainstream gender issues
into their work, in a way that all their members are responsible for assessing
how elections affect men and women in their respective fields of action. In
light of good practice, “election observation missions should:
- Ensure
gender balance in their composition;
- Address
gender issues and evaluate elections from a gender perspective;
- Receive
training on gender issues and on the electoral rights of women; […]
- Draw
attention to critical points of the election process at which women might be
disadvantaged, including through major electoral fraud in which men vote
multiple times, allegedly on behalf of their families;
- When
providing an overall assessment of an election, give full weight to the extent
to which the women have been able to exercise their rights;
- Collect
sex-disaggregated data on the election process;
- Make
recommendations on electoral improvements that would lead to greater political
participation by women.” [1]
- Collect
data and information on incidents of violence against women in politics and
elections.[2]
Regarding the content of
their analysis, observers should assess the impact of the electoral process on
women’s participation, mainstreaming gender throughout all areas of inquiry. As
for the legal framework, observers should determine if there are constitutional
or legal provisions enshrining the principles of equality for men and women,
and whether any aspects of the election code and other election-related
legislation or regulations could disadvantage women. Also, it is important to
assess the effectiveness of gender quotas or other TSM if they exist. As
regards electoral analysis, observers can study how the electoral system
affects women’s participation, as well as the role of EMBs in ensuring the
participation of women in elections, considering its representation among their
staff and the impact of their decisions over women’s participation. When it
comes to political analysis, observers can assess to what extent political
parties include women in their structure, decision-making process and candidate
lists. Concerning media analysis, observers can look into gender-based
stereotypes in the coverage of the election process, as well as plurality in
media coverage regarding male and female candidates and the topic of gender
equality among programmatic issues.[3]
The Declaration of
Principles for International Election Observation was commemorated at the
United Nations in 2005. It is currently endorsed by 55 international
organizations working for the improvement of international election
observation. This declaration sets out the main principles that should guide
the work of international election observers, including those of impartiality,
independence, transparency, responsibility to inform and cooperation with other
observers, among others. The declaration also points out the need to cover all
stages of the electoral process through comprehensive, long-term observation.
It recognizes “the importance of balanced gender diversity in the composition
of participants and leadership of international election observation missions
[…]”, and includes among the functions of international election observation
the analysis of “conditions relating to the right to vote and to be elected,
including […] discrimination and other obstacles that hinder participation in
electoral processes based on political or other opinion, gender, race, colour,
ethnicity, language, religion, national or social origin, property, birth or
other status, such as physical disabilities”.[4]
International election
observation organizations mainstream gender in different ways. Making sure that
the mission’s composition is gender balanced, with a fair representation of men
and women among observers, is generally considered good practice. Furthermore,
recruiting a gender expert or mainstreaming gender issues in the work of all
members of the mission can contribute to consolidate a comprehensive analysis
of how elections affect men and women, and allows integrating these issues in
the mission’s reports and recommendations. Clear guidelines on this matter can
contribute positively to the integration of the gender component in the
mission’s work.
Example: Election Observation Missions (EOM) launched by the Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) look at women’s participation in a
comprehensive manner, analyzing how legal frameworks and media coverage affect
men and women, as well as their roles as voters, candidates, elected
representatives and members of political parties or EMBs. All OSCE/ODIHR EOM
members should collect information on women’s participation while conducting
the duties assigned to their position. When possible a gender analyst is
deployed; otherwise a core team member can be appointed as gender focal point
to coordinate the mission’s work on gender issues. The Handbook for Monitoring
Women’s Participation in Elections provides a detailed description of the
functions of all OSCE/ODIHR EOM members monitoring women’s participation,
including those of the legal, political, election and media analysts, long-term
and short-term observers, and an eventual gender analyst.[5]
Example: The European Union Election Observation Missions mainstream
the issue of women’s participation in all the aspects of their work, and all
their members have the responsibility to report on this matter. In some cases,
the core team includes a gender analyst providing expertise in this field;
otherwise, a core team member is assigned as gender focal point, liaising with
other mission members to coordinate efforts. As regards the recruitment of
observers, the selection of core team members should ensure nationality and
gender balance. Where possible, there is also gender mix in teams of short-term
and long-term observers. European Union EOMs should focus on concrete measures
adopted by relevant stakeholders to enhance women’s participation and required
further action. This should be reflected in the missions reporting, including
recommendations in the final report.[6]
Example: The Organization of American States Electoral Observation
Missions mainstream the gender approach through the work of core team members,
regional coordinators and observers, whose functions are described in detail in
the Manual for Incorporating a Gender Perspective into OAS Electoral
Observation Missions. Some missions may integrate a gender specialist team too,
responsible for coordinating efforts in this field and advising all other core
team members. The manual develops a methodology to integrate the gender
approach in different stages of the OAS EOM, including the initial phase, the
deployment phase and the final phase of the mission. Relevant findings should
be reflected in the mission’s preliminary statement and final report.[7]
For more information on
this issue, please see the ACE Project topic area on International
Election Observation.
In 2012, the Declaration
of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by
Citizen Organizations was commemorated at the United Nations. It has been
endorsed by more than 160 nonpartisan organizations conducting election
monitoring in more than 75 countries, as well as regional networks for election
observation. The declaration recognizes a series of principles that should
guide the efforts of citizen organizations in the field of election
observation, such as impartiality, professionalism, independence and
transparency, among others. It establishes the need to engage these
organizations in observing and analyzing different aspects of the electoral
process from a long-term perspective. The organizations endorsing the
declaration commit to “foster the participation of all segments of the
population, including indigenous peoples, national minorities, youth and the
equal participation of women, as observers, monitors and leaders of their
organizations”. The declaration also contains the commitment to “include
findings and recommendations in their reports concerning the participation in
election processes of women, youth, indigenous peoples, national minorities and
other traditionally underrepresented portions of the population […], as well as
concerning steps taken by authorities, electoral contestants and other actors
to encourage full participation of such groups and/or to remove barriers to
their participation, including those affecting voter registration, candidate
selection and qualification, voting and receiving accurate and adequate
information in minority languages in order to make informed electoral choices.”[8]
Domestic election
observation can integrate a gender approach by promoting a gender-balanced
composition of their members. Comprehensive election observation efforts can
mainstream this issue through the team’s work, by collecting and analyzing
relevant information on women’s participation and including these findings in
recommendations and reports. Also, it is possible to conduct election
observation initiatives with a specific scope, targeting women’s participation.
Example: In the 2014 legislative and presidential elections in
Tunisia, civil society launched an election observation mission with a gender
approach to assess women’s participation in the electoral process, with a focus
on voter education, media coverage, Election Day procedures, and training and support
for elected women, among other issues. This initiative was conducted by
domestic civil groups, including the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human
Rights (Ligue Tunisienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme), the Tunisian
Association of Democratic Women (Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates)
and the Association of Tunisian Women for Development Research (Association des
Femmes Tunisiennes por la Recherche sur le Développement), in collaboration
with Gender Concerns International. The mission deployed 10 international
election observers and 100 domestic observers in polling centers across the
country, especially in rural areas. The recommendations contained in its final
report include strengthening registration campaigns for women voters, particularly
in rural areas, publishing sex-disaggregated data and statistics, establishing
effective procedures to ensure equity in media coverage for all candidates, as
well as developing voter education and information programs specifically
targeting young, illiterate or rural women. [9]
Example: In Nigeria, women’s rights groups and other civil society
organizations received training on election observation from a gender
perspective, in the lead-up to the 2015 general election. This one-day workshop
was organized by UNDP, in the framework of the Democratic Governance for
Development Project (phase II). Participants discussed methodologies for
collecting gender-disaggregated data and information gathering and analysis
from a gender perspective during election observation.[10]
This training strategy allowed participants to strengthen their skills and
improve their methodologies for election observation.
[2] For more information on
this specific issue, see Section 8
of this topic area, “Violence Against Women in Elections and Other Forms of
Gender-Based Electoral Violence”.
[4] “Declaration of
Principles for International Election Observation” and “Code of Conduct for
International Election Observers” (2005) See: https://www.ndi.org/DoP
[8] “Declaration of
Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen
Organizations” and “Code of Conduct for Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers
and Monitors” (2012)
[9] Gender Concerns
International (2015): “Rapport Final de la Mission d’Observation des Élections
Basée sur l’Approche Genre, Tunisie 2014.”
[1] “Declaration of
Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen
Organizations” and “Code of Conduct for Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers
and Monitors” (2012) See: https://www.ndi.org/DoGP
