By Daniel Smith
The Haitian political scene has experienced tremendous growth in times past as it continues to evolve through times and tides. Women have always had a thing or two to contribute to the political activities in Haiti. Their support has seen national and local leaders emerge from many fronts and political aspirants continue to solicit the support of women before their elections and sometimes, after elections.
One would easily think that women would have more roles to play in the political arena of a country with such a unique political climate, but this is not quite the case. Although Haitian women have always participated actively in the electioneering processes of their country, their roles have not always gone beyond that of mere supporters. At the highest levels, women were used as mobilizers for political rallies and campaigns without major considerations for their capabilities as administrators. This is why there have been calls for more consideration for women to contest in elections and not just serve as supporters or conveners.
In the year 2014, The Platform for Human Rights Organizations stated their displeasure at the imbalance in the participation of women in political, decision-making, and public service sectors of the country. They noted the importance of women’s participation in election processes at all levels.
A gross statistical examination reveals that women make up to 53% of the Haitian population, but this number doesn’t count when it comes to political representation as there aren’t many women in political positions in Haiti. As of 2018, there were only three women in the Chamber of Deputies which consists of 119 members. There was only one seat in the Senate occupied by a woman out of the 30 seats available. This is the reason why Haiti takes the far seat as number 185th in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s ranking of parliaments with the most number of women representatives.
Although one might see some women in government, it is usually difficult for these women to make giant strides especially when it comes to the lingering fight for the civil and political rights of Haitian women. This is why the issue of women’s participation in politics goes beyond mere physical presence as it doesn’t quite make up for their status in the political scene. Women wish to have more say in government, rather than being used as tools for the success of male candidates during elections. They have begun to clamor for more participation in the decision-making processes of public affairs.
It is important to understand that the weak representation of Haitian women in politics is not far from social norms which reflects greatly in cases of violence against women in elections (VAWE) which according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is “any harm or threat of harm committed against women with the intent and/or impact of interfering with their free and equal participation in the electoral process during the electoral period.” Cases of VAWE have threatened women so much that they don’t feel at liberty to participate in serious electoral processes. Hence, Haitian women often take the safer option of retreating from active politics.
To this effect, there have been calls from different quarters to encourage women to become actively involved in the political activities of the country especially by contesting during elections. More so, they are equally being called upon to be intentional by preparing carefully not only to contest during election but to also win elections for political seats. It is important to note that women are not only good for campaigns and mobilization as they have been reduced to in the time past, but are also capable of running for elective posts, voting, participating in processes that do not only cater for their basic needs but also take their strategic interests into account. With this, they can ensure their fairness and accountability in socio-political processes.
Although there is at least, 30% quota for women involved in all policy-making levels, Haiti continues to struggle with under-representation as regards women in politics. The Haitian parliament remains a very valid example on this issue. In theory, most political parties in Haiti have made provisions for the promotion of women in politics, but these theories are yet to be practiced. Most of the political parties tend to turn a blind eye to women who exhibit some sort of interest in running for elections. Women organizations on the other hand have what it takes to identify women who are capable of leadership, but most of these organizations still shy away from active politics.
Remarkably, women in Haiti still participate in politics against the odds. Although the numbers may not be worthy of mentioning when compared to the male folks. There have been women holding important political positions in Haiti. The truth, however, is that the country is far from reaching its goal on this topic. The desired future for women’s participation in Haitian politics is a future where the fruit seller and the poor woman who lives by the corner of the road in a village can make contributions to the country’s politics. The desired future is one where a woman will be in the position where she can decide whether to build schools or hospitals with public funds. The struggle for this type of representation in Haiti is still ongoing, but the country seems to remains very far from actualizing it. (Photo : knowpolitics.org)