Women’s role in politics
Women’s role in politics
Organizer: the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan; the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan; the Association of Women Deputies of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan “Merkhamet – Mercy.”
Venue: Kazan, the International Exhibition Center Kazan Expo
Time: May 15, 13:00-14:30
Research shows that women's longer-term political participation improves the quality of life for the whole society and for themselves: More women enter the labor market, state support for disadvantaged groups becomes available, and the social functions of the state are expanded. Women's increasing involvement in political life and decision-making is fundamental to achieving sustainable development. The influence of women in politics, positive changes in society, increasing the share of representation of the fairer half in the political life of the state were the topics discussed by the speakers during the session. Moderator: Alsu Nabiyeva, Rector of the Russian University of Cooperation, Head of the Association of Women Deputies of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan “Merkhamet-Mercy”.
Guest speakers:
Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation;
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum;
Marie Angele Meyanga Epse, President of the Association of Women in Africa, Mayor of Afanloum;
Ladan Ranjbar, Coordinator of the Women's Committee of the Asian Mayors Forum;
Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan;
Olga Pavlova, Member of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences;
Leman Yenigun, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey;
Natalya Yakubitskaya, Chairwoman of the Minsk Regional Council of Deputies, Member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus.
Olga Pavlova, member of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, noted: “40% of Russia's leaders today are women. They achieve outstanding results. Women today make a huge contribution to achieving the national development goals of our country. <...> As part of the Year of the Family we are successfully implementing, perhaps, my favorite project, which is called “Multinationality of Russia. The All-Conquering Power”. The goal of the project is to create a comprehensive scientifically reliable public source of information about family traditions and culture of the peoples of Russia, including the historical territories of Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions”.
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum of BRICS Countries, opined that the majority of women in politics are in the BRICS countries. “Our association has branches all over the world. We are trying to break the stereotypes somehow related to the role of women in politics and hopefully we are succeeding. 18% of women in India are in Parliament. We have to realize that BRICS is developing, it is not standing still, and some changes are happening all the time.
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum, express the opinion that most women in politics are in BRICS countries. “Our association has branches all over the world. We are trying to break stereotypes that are in some way related to the role of women in politics, and I hope we are succeeding. 18% of women in India are in parliament. We have to realize that BRICS is developing, it is not standing still, and some changes are happening all the time.
Marie Angele Meyanga Epse, President of the Association of Women in Africa, Mayor of Afanloum, shared her view of the situation. According to her, in Africa, it is mostly men who work in politics, while women fulfill the roles imposed on them by society, educating children and running the household. “In Cameroon, from 2020, 52% of the population is female. And only 16% of women hold ministerial positions. I became the first woman to hold the position of mayor. And after that I was appointed for another term as mayor of Afanloum, then I became the president of the Cameroon Mayors Association, and now I am a presidential candidate in central Africa. We are trying to help women, to expand their opportunities, to empower them, to empower them, and also to make sure that women's rights are respected,” she said.
Ladan Ranjbar, Coordinator of the Women's Committee of the Asian Mayors Forum, spoke about her path: “I come from a country where origin can have a very serious impact on a woman's role in society. It should be noted that this is generally true for countries that are on the path of economic development. And, of course, there are problems that are related to higher education concerning girls. <...> But we have foundations that help women who would like to participate in elections, who would like to plan the political life of their country. And, of course, while integrating it with the traditional family role.” Ms. Ranjbar noted that society is changing and even in deeply patriarchal societies, glimpses of women leaders are emerging who are leading and inspiring their young female friends. They are trying to balance their role as women in the family with their political careers.
Leman Yenigun, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey, emphasized that Turks are a nation living in a multicultural environment. The women of Turkey are very creative and yet they are the backbone of the family, the backbone of society, always active in all areas, and it is because of this that culture and other areas can develop. “We are doing a lot of things in Turkey to equalize the rights of women and men. Our president also helps and supports women in every area both politically and constitutionally. We always get his support and, indeed, in 2002 there were few women lawmakers, 24, but now there are 110. Is that enough? No. Of course we want more, but still we all realize that this is a big increase. Besides, if we are, politics will win. If we are active, politics will be active,” Ms. Yenigun said.
Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, noted: “Of course, women's leadership is the active representation of women in all bodies of power. <...> For more than 5 years I have been working as an auditor of the Accounts Chamber. And we work with 187 countries. In Russia we have practically no barriers to women's development. Because everything is enshrined in our basic law, the Constitution, and the Family Code. 49% are women leaders. We have a very high proportion of women in the judiciary. Today, for the first time in 30 years, a woman has been elected head of the Supreme Court of Russia. But it is true that today we have only one female governor.”
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva said: “The uniqueness of our experience lies in the fact that the legislative consolidation of women's rights and freedoms, legal protection of women as an active participant in socio-economic, political processes has been of concern to the progressive society of Azerbaijan since the end of the 19th century. As early as 1901, a secular women's school was opened in Azerbaijan for the first time in the entire Muslim East, and the first women's newspapers and magazines were published in the second decade of the 20th century. It is noteworthy that when approving the strategy for the development of Azerbaijani youth in 2015-2025, our recommendations provided to the government to ensure the intellectual, physical and moral development of youth, their active participation in the socio-economic, socio-political and cultural life of the country were also taken into account. The strategy is fully in line with the principles of the UN global initiative to create decent jobs, including for young women. It sets clear national targets for reducing youth unemployment. Given the gender gap in career choice among young people, we are actively working on career guidance and attracting girls to non-traditional fields of education, such as technology, transportation, energy, and so on.”
Natalya Yakubitskaya, Chairwoman of the Minsk Regional Council of Deputies, Member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, said: “Studies conducted by various international centers and institutes show that women's participation in governance at all levels is a stabilizing factor. Where women account for 30%-40% in government organizations, society develops more steadily and is socially oriented. In 143 countries of the world, legislative barriers to women's participation in political activity have been removed. Belarus is among the 27 countries in the world that have achieved the target indicator for women's participation in managerial decision-making. In the gender structure of civil servants, that is, people who determine the modern image of our Belarus, the proportion of women already exceeds 70%. We have recently elected the 8th parliament, and the share of women in the lower house of parliament is 34%, in the upper house 31%, and in the total number of elected deputies of local councils of deputies the share of women is 47%. Of course, holding a leadership position does not depend on gender. It depends only on personal capabilities, professional qualities and healthy ambitions.”
The 15th International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2024" is being held from May 14-19 in Kazan. This year's keynote is "Trust and Cooperation." The main goal of the forum is to strengthen trade and economic, scientific and technical, social and cultural ties between Russian regions and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as to promote the development of institutions of the Islamic financial system in Russia.
Venue: Kazan, the International Exhibition Center Kazan Expo
Time: May 15, 13:00-14:30
Research shows that women's longer-term political participation improves the quality of life for the whole society and for themselves: More women enter the labor market, state support for disadvantaged groups becomes available, and the social functions of the state are expanded. Women's increasing involvement in political life and decision-making is fundamental to achieving sustainable development. The influence of women in politics, positive changes in society, increasing the share of representation of the fairer half in the political life of the state were the topics discussed by the speakers during the session. Moderator: Alsu Nabiyeva, Rector of the Russian University of Cooperation, Head of the Association of Women Deputies of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan “Merkhamet-Mercy”.
Guest speakers:
Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation;
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum;
Marie Angele Meyanga Epse, President of the Association of Women in Africa, Mayor of Afanloum;
Ladan Ranjbar, Coordinator of the Women's Committee of the Asian Mayors Forum;
Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan;
Olga Pavlova, Member of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences;
Leman Yenigun, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey;
Natalya Yakubitskaya, Chairwoman of the Minsk Regional Council of Deputies, Member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus.
Olga Pavlova, member of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, noted: “40% of Russia's leaders today are women. They achieve outstanding results. Women today make a huge contribution to achieving the national development goals of our country. <...> As part of the Year of the Family we are successfully implementing, perhaps, my favorite project, which is called “Multinationality of Russia. The All-Conquering Power”. The goal of the project is to create a comprehensive scientifically reliable public source of information about family traditions and culture of the peoples of Russia, including the historical territories of Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions”.
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum of BRICS Countries, opined that the majority of women in politics are in the BRICS countries. “Our association has branches all over the world. We are trying to break the stereotypes somehow related to the role of women in politics and hopefully we are succeeding. 18% of women in India are in Parliament. We have to realize that BRICS is developing, it is not standing still, and some changes are happening all the time.
Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum, express the opinion that most women in politics are in BRICS countries. “Our association has branches all over the world. We are trying to break stereotypes that are in some way related to the role of women in politics, and I hope we are succeeding. 18% of women in India are in parliament. We have to realize that BRICS is developing, it is not standing still, and some changes are happening all the time.
Marie Angele Meyanga Epse, President of the Association of Women in Africa, Mayor of Afanloum, shared her view of the situation. According to her, in Africa, it is mostly men who work in politics, while women fulfill the roles imposed on them by society, educating children and running the household. “In Cameroon, from 2020, 52% of the population is female. And only 16% of women hold ministerial positions. I became the first woman to hold the position of mayor. And after that I was appointed for another term as mayor of Afanloum, then I became the president of the Cameroon Mayors Association, and now I am a presidential candidate in central Africa. We are trying to help women, to expand their opportunities, to empower them, to empower them, and also to make sure that women's rights are respected,” she said.
Ladan Ranjbar, Coordinator of the Women's Committee of the Asian Mayors Forum, spoke about her path: “I come from a country where origin can have a very serious impact on a woman's role in society. It should be noted that this is generally true for countries that are on the path of economic development. And, of course, there are problems that are related to higher education concerning girls. <...> But we have foundations that help women who would like to participate in elections, who would like to plan the political life of their country. And, of course, while integrating it with the traditional family role.” Ms. Ranjbar noted that society is changing and even in deeply patriarchal societies, glimpses of women leaders are emerging who are leading and inspiring their young female friends. They are trying to balance their role as women in the family with their political careers.
Leman Yenigun, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey, emphasized that Turks are a nation living in a multicultural environment. The women of Turkey are very creative and yet they are the backbone of the family, the backbone of society, always active in all areas, and it is because of this that culture and other areas can develop. “We are doing a lot of things in Turkey to equalize the rights of women and men. Our president also helps and supports women in every area both politically and constitutionally. We always get his support and, indeed, in 2002 there were few women lawmakers, 24, but now there are 110. Is that enough? No. Of course we want more, but still we all realize that this is a big increase. Besides, if we are, politics will win. If we are active, politics will be active,” Ms. Yenigun said.
Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, noted: “Of course, women's leadership is the active representation of women in all bodies of power. <...> For more than 5 years I have been working as an auditor of the Accounts Chamber. And we work with 187 countries. In Russia we have practically no barriers to women's development. Because everything is enshrined in our basic law, the Constitution, and the Family Code. 49% are women leaders. We have a very high proportion of women in the judiciary. Today, for the first time in 30 years, a woman has been elected head of the Supreme Court of Russia. But it is true that today we have only one female governor.”
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva said: “The uniqueness of our experience lies in the fact that the legislative consolidation of women's rights and freedoms, legal protection of women as an active participant in socio-economic, political processes has been of concern to the progressive society of Azerbaijan since the end of the 19th century. As early as 1901, a secular women's school was opened in Azerbaijan for the first time in the entire Muslim East, and the first women's newspapers and magazines were published in the second decade of the 20th century. It is noteworthy that when approving the strategy for the development of Azerbaijani youth in 2015-2025, our recommendations provided to the government to ensure the intellectual, physical and moral development of youth, their active participation in the socio-economic, socio-political and cultural life of the country were also taken into account. The strategy is fully in line with the principles of the UN global initiative to create decent jobs, including for young women. It sets clear national targets for reducing youth unemployment. Given the gender gap in career choice among young people, we are actively working on career guidance and attracting girls to non-traditional fields of education, such as technology, transportation, energy, and so on.”
Natalya Yakubitskaya, Chairwoman of the Minsk Regional Council of Deputies, Member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, said: “Studies conducted by various international centers and institutes show that women's participation in governance at all levels is a stabilizing factor. Where women account for 30%-40% in government organizations, society develops more steadily and is socially oriented. In 143 countries of the world, legislative barriers to women's participation in political activity have been removed. Belarus is among the 27 countries in the world that have achieved the target indicator for women's participation in managerial decision-making. In the gender structure of civil servants, that is, people who determine the modern image of our Belarus, the proportion of women already exceeds 70%. We have recently elected the 8th parliament, and the share of women in the lower house of parliament is 34%, in the upper house 31%, and in the total number of elected deputies of local councils of deputies the share of women is 47%. Of course, holding a leadership position does not depend on gender. It depends only on personal capabilities, professional qualities and healthy ambitions.”
The 15th International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2024" is being held from May 14-19 in Kazan. This year's keynote is "Trust and Cooperation." The main goal of the forum is to strengthen trade and economic, scientific and technical, social and cultural ties between Russian regions and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as to promote the development of institutions of the Islamic financial system in Russia.
