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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Women's Legislative Representation in Mauritius: 'A Grave Democratic Deficit'
Authors:Yoon, Mi YungISNI
Bunwaree, SheilaISNI
Year:2006
Periodical:Journal of Contemporary African Studies
Volume:24
Issue:2
Period:May
Pages:229-247
Language:English
Geographic term:Mauritius
Subjects:parliamentary representation
women
gender inequality
Law, Human Rights and Violence
Women's Issues
Politics and Government
Law, Legal Issues, and Human Rights
Sex Roles
External links:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02589000600769983
http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=4DD09932F50976E7A662
Abstract:Although the election on July 3, 2005, brought a sharp increase of women in Mauritius's parliament, its female legislative representation is still far short of the 30 percent target stipulated in the Declaration on Gender and Development, adopted by SADC heads of government in Blantyre, Malawi, in 1997. This paper examines the factors that hinder women's legislative representation in Mauritius. It appears that few women occupy high-level decisionmaking positions, let alone leadership positions, within parties; the electoral system and nomination of candidates discriminate against women, as do coalition politics; Mauritius has a patriarchal culture; women suffer from a lack of resources in terms of funds and education. Finally, the paper looks at the probability of quotas for women and concludes - on the basis of interviews with present and past female MPs and views reported in the Mauritian press - that, given the absence of consensus on the issue of gender quotas and the lack of strong political support for a constitutional amendment to introduce them, it is unlikely that Mauritius will adopt them in the foreseeable future. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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