As the National Assembly completes its fourth parliamentary year, women legislators continued to perform impressively, asserting themselves in their lawmaking and oversight roles, according to a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report on the eve of the International Women's Day.
Women Members accounted for almost half of the parliamentary agenda conducted during the third parliamentary year of the thirteenth National Assembly, according to parliamentary records and FAFEN’s direct observation of proceedings between March 11, 2010 and March 4, 2011. Women constitute less than one-quarter (23%) of the National Assembly’s current 340 members - 77 female parliamentarians, 60 elected on reserved seats and 17 elected through popular vote. Despite their significant underrepresentation, women Members actively participated in the parliamentary business and remained more assertive and effective as compared to many of their male counterparts in the National Assembly that is headed by the country’s first woman Speaker.
Women members have been more active, assertive and effective voices of citizens than their male counterparts in the National Assembly that is set to complete its Second Parliamentary Year this month, says a Performance Analysis of Women Members of the National Assembly released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) to mark International Women’s Day.
