irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human
rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any
other field.”
4.
Other conventions, declarations and international analyses place great importance on the
participation of women in public life and have set a framework of international standards of
equality. These include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,1 the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights,2 the Convention on the Political Rights of Women,3 the Vienna
Declaration, 4 paragraph 13 of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 5 general
recommendations 5 and 8 under the Convention, 6 general comment No. 25 adopted by the
Human Rights Committee,7 the recommendation adopted by the Council of the European Union
on balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process8 and the European
Commission’s “How to Create a Gender Balance in Political Decision-making”.9
5.
Article 7 obliges States parties to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination
against women in political and public life and to ensure that they enjoy equality with men in
political and public life. The obligation specified in article 7 extends to all areas of public and
political life and is not limited to those areas specified in subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c). The
political and public life of a country is a broad concept. It refers to the exercise of political
power, in particular the exercise of legislative, judicial, executive and administrative powers.
The term covers all aspects of public administration and the formulation and implementation of
policy at the international, national, regional and local levels. The concept also includes many
aspects of civil society, including public boards and local councils and the activities of
organizations such as political parties, trade unions, professional or industry associations,
women’s organizations, community-based organizations and other organizations concerned with
public and political life.
6.
The Convention envisages that, to be effective, this equality must be achieved within the
framework of a political system in which each citizen enjoys the right to vote and be elected at
genuine periodic elections held on the basis of universal suffrage and by secret ballot, in such a
way as to guarantee the free expression of the will of the electorate, as provided for under
international human rights instruments, such as article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
7.
The Convention’s emphasis on the importance of equality of opportunity and of
participation in public life and decision-making has led the Committee to review article 7 and to
suggest to States parties that in reviewing their laws and policies and in reporting under the
Convention, they should take into account the comments and recommendations set out below.
Comments
8.
Public and private spheres of human activity have always been considered distinct, and
have been regulated accordingly. Invariably, women have been assigned to the private or
domestic sphere, associated with reproduction and the raising of children, and in all societies
these activities have been treated as inferior. By contrast, public life, which is respected and
honoured, extends to a broad range of activity outside the private and domestic sphere. Men
historically have both dominated public life and exercised the power to confine and subordinate
women within the private sphere.
9.
Despite women’s central role in sustaining the family and society and their contribution to
development, they have been excluded from political life and the decision-making process,
which nonetheless determine the pattern of their daily lives and the future of societies.