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.