In
2010, following a regional workshop organised
by the Indian Ocean Commission, it was recommended
that a Regional Platform on Women in Politics,
as well as a National Platform of Women in Politics
be established in the 5 countries of the Indian
Ocean Region.
The overall objective of the Regional Platform
is to intensify efforts to increase women’s
participation in decision-making and meet
the target of parity.
The tasks of the National Platform are harmonised
with those of the Regional Platform and are
geared towards:
Increasing the representation of Women in
Politics.
Capacity building for negotiation and lobbying.
Encourage the elaboration of an act favouring
the integration of Women in Politics.
The National Platform of Women in Politics
has been consequently set up in Mauritius
in 2011.
The Council of IOC Ministers endorsed the
IOC Regional Gender Policy and Strategy (IOC
RGPS) in April 2009.
The
specific policy objectives of the IOC Regional
Gender Policy and Strategy have been identified
as follows:
To take measures to
protect women and girls from gender-based
violence (and in particular, domestic
violence) and provide appropriate support
services;
To
intensify efforts to increase women’s
participation in decision-making and meet
the target of parity;
To promote
people-centred sustainable development,
with particular attention to food security
and the management and conservation of
natural resources and the environment;
To promote
women’s access and ability to partake
in economic opportunities.
In July 2010, a regional
workshop for countries of the IOC Region
was organised by the IOC, that adopted
the Concept Note on
“L’empowerment des Femmes en Politique”.
The
Concept Note identified three main axes
of interventions in order to achieve Objective
2 of the IOC RGPS, namely,
“To intensify efforts to increase women’s
participation in decision-making and meet
the target of parity”.
These included:
Increasing
women’s participation in politics
Setting
up a regional platform on women
in politics and strengthening
the capacity of the platform in
negotiation and lobbying skills
Promoting
the drafting of a law favouring
a greater representation and participation
of women in politics.
Increasing the representation of Women in
Politics.
