Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2022-23 (1. samling)
IPU Alm.del Bilag 1
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145th IPU Assembly
Kigali, Rwanda
11-15 October 2022
Kigali Declaration
Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments
as drivers of change for a more resilient
and peaceful world
Endorsed by the 145th IPU Assembly
(Kigali, 15 October 2022)
We, Members of Parliament from around the world, gathered at the 145th IPU
Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss the theme
Gender equality and
gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful
world,
to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the IPU’s Plan of Action for
Gender-sensitive Parliaments, and to recommit to advance gender equality in our
institutions and in society.
We recognize that we live in a special time, wrought with global challenges. After two
years of confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that crises are never gender
neutral. On the contrary, crises exacerbate existing gender-based inequalities and
create new ones, and put vulnerable populations in an even more precarious situation.
Women and girls pay a heavy toll in situations of crisis, since gender-based
discrimination and violence increase, holding back gender equality and our societies
in general.
However, we take confidence knowing that our collective commitment to the
Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality has led to greater attention to and
respect for equal rights among men and women, and women’s and girls’
empowerment. We also believe that the current generation of parliamentarians is
more diverse and is therefore showing even more support for the advancement of
gender equality and inclusivity.
We affirm that gender equality is essential in confronting pandemics, conflicts,
economic recessions and climate change. From the perspective of the economy,
gender equality means equal pay, financial inclusion, universal social protection,
valuing care work, and protection from discrimination and violence. Equality in the
economy also means that more women participate in the work force, leading to
greater prosperity and productivity. Gender equality in politics allows us to respond
better to crises by taking into account the diverse and intersectional needs of all,
thereby delivering more effective results. From the perspective of peace-building and
diplomacy, women’s leadership is a driving force, as peace agreements signed by
female delegates lead to more durable peace. From the perspective of political
decision-making, women leaders have been proven to drive more stringent climate
action. In short, when responding to global challenges, it is more likely that no one is
left behind if women participate and lead.
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#IPU145
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We note, as seen through our General Debate, that there are advancements in parliaments from
around the world from which we can draw inspiration. In Kigali, at this 145th Assembly, we
acknowledged that gender equality is a right for everyone, everywhere and agreed to make a step
change for gender equality and to make our parliaments gender-sensitive for a more resilient and
peaceful world.
To step up our action for gender equality, we will look to address profound structural gender
inequalities that are driving vulnerabilities instead of building resilience. To do so, we commit to
take the five following key actions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Achieve parity in political decision-making, including by using electoral gender quotas and
ensuring that other electoral quotas always have a gender parity provision.
Ensure our law-making, law-enforcement, and budgeting are gender-responsive across all
policy fields.
Put vulnerable populations at the centre of our parliamentary functions of legislation,
oversight, resource allocation and representation.
End gender-based discrimination, violence and other harmful practices, and ensure access
to sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for all women and girls.
Advance equality in caring responsibilities among men and women and set an example in
our societies by undertaking 50% of the daily care work for our families, regardless of
whether we are male or female MPs.
Driving structural transformational change for gender equality will require us to continue and
enhance our action to build gender-sensitive parliaments. It is only by doing so that our parliaments
will meet the needs of the modern era, respond to crises and remain resilient. Gender-insensitive
parliaments cannot redress inequalities and vulnerabilities. In contrast, gender-sensitive
parliaments, that are by definition more representative and have power, structures and capacities
to promote gender equality, are better able to reverse gender inequalities and address
vulnerabilities.
In the last decade, we have witnessed progress in gender equality in parliaments, following the
roadmap set out by the
Plan of Action for Gender-sensitive Parliaments:
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In parliamentary participation and leadership, the proportion of women in parliament has
jumped from 20 to 26%. Several parliaments have internal quotas to ensure leadership
positions and membership of committees are shared equally among men and women. At
present, 23% of Speakers or Presiding Officers of parliament are women.
Looking at parliamentary infrastructure, 50% of all parliaments currently have a women’s
caucus and 68% of all parliaments have a women’s or gender equality committee.
In terms of gender-responsive internal policies, 23% of all parliaments now have a gender
equality policy in their parliamentary administration.
There are more family-friendly provisions and measures to facilitate work-life balance such
as remote or proxy voting and childcare arrangements.
The existence, forms and prevalence of violence against women in parliament are now
widely acknowledged, and some parliaments have started taking action to eliminate such
violence, including by using the IPU
Guidelines for the elimination of sexism, harassment
and violence against women in parliament.
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Gender-sensitive parliaments are needed now more than ever against a backdrop of ever more
urgent political, economic, social and ecological crises, which are themselves gendered. Facing the
reality of the climate crisis, this next chapter of gender-sensitive parliaments must also be green,
both in how parliaments undertake their daily work, and in parliamentary outputs and outcomes.
New technologies and their rapid development have also opened up new opportunities which must
be exploited when they support rather than harm gender equality.
Transformative institutional change towards a gender-sensitive parliament does not just happen by
itself. It requires political will, leadership, self-questioning, strategic planning, reform, resources and
accountability.
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Our commitment to gender-sensitive parliaments today must be more ambitious than it was
10 years ago. Looking forward, we pledge the following 10 actions to make many more parliaments
gender-sensitive over the next 10 years:
1.
2.
Assess the level of gender-sensitivity of our parliaments twice to ensure progress in-between
the two milestones.
Create a gender-balanced steering committee to follow up on the findings and
recommendations of the gender sensitivity assessments that has the power, resources, and
mandate to lead reforms.
Recognize the individual differences among women and prioritize the inclusion of
underrepresented groups such as young women, indigenous women and women with
disabilities.
Create, resource and empower a gender equality committee or similar body which can
effectively hold government and parliament to account, and a women’s caucus that can
effectively support women MPs in their parliamentary work.
Adopt formal rules to establish gender-balance across all parliamentary leadership positions,
ensure the parity of participation of women and men across all parliamentary activities, and
prohibit single-sex committees and groups.
Engage men MPs and other men active in the parliamentary ecosystem to act as allies for
gender equality, including by co-sponsoring bills, initiatives and actions with women MPs,
across the legislative, oversight and representation fields.
Ensure that gender sensitivity, gender equality and gender mainstreaming and budgeting
guide all of a parliament’s work at all times.
Conduct gender audits of legislative, budgetary and oversight actions but also of initiatives
aiming to introduce or reform, inter alia, parliamentary technology, measures to make
parliaments greener, initiatives to engage citizens’ in the work of parliament, and implement
the respective recommendations from such audits.
Become caring parliaments by providing fully for the caring needs of men and women MPs
and staff as they carry out their parliamentary duties.
Introduce stringent policies with the objective of zero tolerance of violence against women,
sexual harassment and bullying in parliament, and establish independent and efficient
grievance procedures with strong sanctions.
3.
4.
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10.