Political parties have an
important role to play in preventing and mitigating VAWE throughout the
electoral cycle. By ensuring that candidates and party members comply with
codes of conduct, as well as integrating provisions forbidding VAWE in their
founding documents and internal regulations, political parties can contribute
to prevent and protect women against acts of VAWE. They can also prevent and
mitigate VAWE during the process of candidate nomination with clear directives
from party leaders and transparent procedures, and help women candidates face
economic forms of VAWE by supporting their campaign finance. Political parties’
training strategies for party members and voter education campaigns should also
consider this matter. Party monitors should receive training on VAWE and be
able to report this kind of incidents during registration and voting processes.
Furthermore, political parties have a role to play in ensuring that the elected
party caucus is well aware of potential threats to women in elective office and
ensuring that women representatives do not feel pressured to resign their seats
in favor of men.[1]
Example: In Liberia, the National Election Committee worked with
several political parties to develop a Code of Conduct. Among other goals, it
aimed to avoid “the marginalization of women through violence, intimidation and
fraud.” Political parties agreed to “the principle of non-discrimination, not
to use abusive language, and not to agitate on the basis of sex and gender.”[2]
Example: In Macedonia, political parties agreed to a Code of Conduct
in 2006, engaging themselves to “facilitate the full participation of citizens
including women and other minority groups during elections; ensure free access
of citizens […] to all campaign events; generally, refrain from forcing
citizens to support a particular political party or candidate or to engage in,
or refrain from engaging in, any political activity otherwise than in accordance
with their free choice; support the universal concept of one-person-one-vote
and discourage proxy voting.”[3]
[1] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 94-99.
[2] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 95.
[3] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 95.
