Home > 6.3 Constitution of the list of candidates > ARMENIA - Joint Opinion on the Draft Constituional Law on Political Parties
 
 
 
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Paragraph 36
 

For this reason, and to comply with Armenia’s international commitments, the draft law should do more to promote gender equality within political parties. In this regard, it is important to recall that OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 07/09 Women’s Participation in Political and Public Life “encourage(s) all political actors to promote equal participation of women and men in political parties, with a view to achieving better gender-balanced representation in elected public offices at all levels of decision-making.” The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers recommendation Rec(2003)3 on balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision making further strengthens this principle.28 The Beijing Platform for Action also calls on political parties to consider removing all barriers that directly or indirectly discriminate against the participation of women, and develop initiatives that allow women to participate fully in all internal policy-making and nominating processes. It also refers to the incorporation of gender equality considerations in parties’ political agendas. Resolution 1898(2012) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe further states that political parties, as key protagonists in pluralist democracies, “have a decisive role to play in enhancing women’s political representation: in addition to ensuring strict compliance with electoral legislation, including on legislated quotas, and introducing voluntary measures, they are well placed to promote a change of culture conducive to gender equality in politics and in society at large” (para. 5).