Commonwealth Parliamentarians from 17 different jurisdictions came together in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for the second Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Workshop on ‘Champions for Gender Equality: Achieving Equal Participation in Commonwealth Parliaments’ held from 6 to 8 December 2023.

Hosted by the Parliament of Tanzania and the CPA Africa Region, the workshop was designed to equip male and female Members of Parliament with skills and resources to take action on gender equality to strengthen their roles as gender champions in their respective Parliaments.

Above: Participants at the CWP Workshop on ‘Champions for Gender Equality’ in Tanzania. Click here for further images.

Participants from Belize; Botswana; Canada Federal; Eastern Cape; Kenya; Kerala; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Queensland; Rwanda; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Tanzania; Victoria; and Zambia were welcomed to the CWP Workshop by the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon. Dr Zainab Gimba, MP (Nigeria); Hon. Angellah Kairuki, MP, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism (representing the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania); Hon. Madina Ndangiza, MP (Rwanda), CWP Africa Region Chairperson; and the CPA Africa Regional Secretary, Ms Nenelwa Joyce Mwihambi, who is also the Clerk of the National Assembly of Tanzania. The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg also sent a video message to the participants.

In her opening remarks, the CWP Chairperson said:

“As we pursue this mandate together, it is vital that we act as gender champions throughout our time in Parliament, whilst also encouraging those around us to join us in this noble cause. Whilst we all share the same ambitions to see more women in Parliament and positions of leadership, we also have our own contexts and journeys to share with each other.

As gender champions, we must guide against all forms of misconceptions that limit women, we must continue to take more seriously, our parliamentary caucuses for therein lies our strength and cohesion, we must continue to synergise to mentor, empower and encourage ourselves to positions of prominence in political leadership.”

The Tanzanian Minister, Hon. Angellah Kairuki, MP spoke about the importance of including everyone in the campaign for gender equality and said:

“Undoubtedly, gender equality in politics, can only be achieved if men work side by side with women to share the responsibility in breaking harmful cultural norms and practices, as well as the institutional, structural and legal barriers that hinder women’s equal and influential political participation.

We should bear in mind that gender equality is not guaranteed simply because there are women in Parliament. It is more a question of how gender-sensitive the Parliament, its policies and its infrastructure are. It requires a combination of greater numbers of women; stronger gender-sensitive infrastructure; and stronger gender equality policy and legislation. A gender-sensitive Parliament is one that responds to the needs and interests of both men and women in its structures, operations, methods and in its work.”

Expanding on the work already being undertaken by the CWP network on Gender-Sensitive Parliaments (GSP) with particular reference to two of the dimensions of a GSP: Equality of Participation and Gender Equality Policy and Women’s Substantive Representation, the CWP Workshop looked at how Champions of all genders can better address discriminatory practices, unequal access to resources and other issues that prevent the equal participation of women in Parliament.

Participants also discussed the importance of developing gender parliamentary caucuses and how they can be utilised to promote gender-sensitive Parliaments and gender equality.

Key CWP Workshop ‘lessons learnt’:

• Breaking away from the idea that gender equality is a women’s issue.
• Looking beyond numbers and towards the meaningful participation of women in Parliaments.
• Building a community of gender champions to advocate for equality.
• Creating impetus for change in Parliaments with low numbers of women.
• Effectively identifying and engaging with key stakeholders who can support the efforts of gender champions.

Workshop participants also had the opportunity to hear from leading experts in the field including Dr Lulu Mahai, Director of the Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Dar Es Salaam; Kimberly McArthur from the Apolitical Foundation; Suzie Dunn from University of Ottawa/Dalhousie University; Dr Kiran Hassan, Coordinator of Freedom of Expression and Digital Rights at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies as well as speaking with organisations engaged in promoting gender equality in Tanzania including UN Women; Institute of Gender Studies; Tanzania Media Women Association; Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA); Thamani Foundation; Tanzania Gender Networking Programme; and Equality for Growth Tanzania.

This workshop continued the recent work of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network which held workshops on gender quotas in Parliament and mapping discriminatory laws across the Commonwealth at the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana.

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Source: https://www.cpahq.org/news/2023_12-cwp-champions-tanzania/

A delegation from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters met with the Parliament of Namibia last week as part of a CPA Benchmarks self-assessment.

The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice and were updated to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions. In recent years, 25 Commonwealth Parliaments have undertaken further assessments against the updated CPA Benchmarks.

As part of their visit, the CPA delegation met with the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Loise Kasingo, and the Chairperson of the National Council, Hon. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, as well as Members of Parliament and senior parliamentary staff from both Houses. CPA officials also held meetings with a number of other stakeholders including from the Offices of the Attorney-General, Auditor-General and Electoral Commissioner, as well as representatives of Namibian Civil Society.

Above: The CPA Headquarters team meet with Members of Parliament and officials at the Parliament of Namibia.

Speaking about the self-assessment, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, Hon. Loide Kasingo, said:

“Namibia is Constitutional Democracy firmly entrenched in the values and principles of human rights, rule of law and good governance. As such, we welcome the CPA team to assist us self-assess on the CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures. This will allow us to improve in areas where we are lacking.”

Furthermore, the Chairperson of the National Council of Namibia, Hon. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, said:

“The Parliament of Namibia welcomes the Benchmarks Self-Assessment as a tool for us to compare our practices to standards developed by the CPA and adopted by fellow member Parliaments. This important exercise will help the Parliament of Namibia reflect on its strengths and create objectives and strategies to improve on its weaknesses. I am sure the outcomes of this CPA visit will motivate both Members and staff to redouble their efforts to make the Parliament of Namibia more effective.”

The CPA Benchmarks assessment was supported by Josephine Watera, Assistant Director (Department of Research Services), Parliament of Uganda, and Fraser McIntosh, Good Governance Project Manager from CPA Headquarters.

Following the visit, a report will be formulated with recommendations for reform to strengthen parliamentary institutions in Namibia. The outcomes report will play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Parliament and contribute to its implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, said:

“Effective Parliaments are the cornerstone of good governance and the CPA works to ensure that Legislatures can function to their maximum potential. Self-assessment against to the CPA Benchmarks ensures that Parliaments can vigorously scrutinise their practices and procedures to become better performing Legislatures. In addition, the CPA Benchmarks assessments have strengthened public outreach, engagement and confidence.”

This CPA Benchmarks assessment is being supported with project funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) aimed at further parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth. The CPA supports Parliaments to fulfil the outcomes of the self-assessments through CPA Technical Assistance Programmes, which could involve updating the rules of procedures, training for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, or developing corporate policies. These project outputs will strengthen parliamentary institutions for improved good governance.

To find out more about this project please email hq.sec@cpahq.org. The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures are available to download on the CPA website.

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Source: https://www.cpahq.org/news/2023_12-benchmarks-namibia/

Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth have met in Australia for the 26th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) which took place from 3 to 6 January 2023. Speakers and Presiding Officers from more than 30 Commonwealth Parliaments were hosted by the Senate of Australia’s President, Hon. Sue Lines and the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Hon. Milton Dick, MP.

The conference’s aim is to strengthen parliamentary institutions by bringing together Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth. The biennial conference focused on the topics of parliamentary engagement, security and e-Parliaments, and was an opportunity to share best practice on Parliamentarians as effective legislators and representatives.

A special plenary session was also held on training for Parliamentarians and staff; Speakers and Presiding Officers discussed the provisions and practices available in their own Parliaments which focused on the induction and upskilling of Members and staff, and also addressed critical areas like anti-bullying and harassment training.

The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Hon. Milton Dick, MP said in a TV interview ahead of the conference:

“The role of the conference is to ensure both sides have equal opportunity to express their views. Australia has the opportunity to showcase how we’ve handled the pandemic for example, but also to understand and learn from other jurisdictions about how they’ve dealt with remote Parliaments and online security.”

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg, attended the 26th CSPOC and met with many Speakers and Presiding Officers during the conference, as well as having the opportunity to update the conference on recent CPA initiatives available to them, such as the CPA Parliamentary Academy.

In the margins of 26th CSPOC, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg met with Speakers of Parliament from Malaysia, Tonga, Jamaica, Barbados, New Zealand and Malta to discuss parliamentary strengthening and ongoing support for MPs. Click here for more images.

Speakers and Presiding Officers attended the conference from many jurisdictions including: New Zealand; Sri Lanka; Rwanda; India; Jamaica; Malta; Tonga; Malaysia; Barbados; Botswana; Canada; Maldives; Nauru; Singapore; Zambia; Kenya; Uganda; Pakistan; United Kingdom; Mauritius; Jersey; Isle of Man; Guernsey.

The CSPOC conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Parliaments and Legislatures of the Commonwealth. It focuses on the sharing of experiences, collaboration and partnership across the Parliaments of the Commonwealth. CSPOC was created in 1969 by Hon. Lucien Lamoureux, 27th Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons to focus on the role of Speakers within parliamentary institutions and CSPOC is a separate independent organisation, although many of its participants are also members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, although the most recent conference was delayed by COVID-19.

The next host for the biennial conference is Uganda from 3 to 6 January 2024. For more information about the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) please visit www.cspoc.org.

Source: https://www.cpahq.org/news/2023_01-cspoc/

One of the largest gatherings of Commonwealth Parliamentarians will take place next week at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (65th CPC) hosted by the CPA Canada Region.

The flagship event will bring together over 500 Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and decision makers from across the Commonwealth for this unique conference and networking opportunity. The CPC offers the prospect of the coming together of the CPA’s global membership to address the critical issues facing today’s Parliaments.

The 65th CPC will be attended by Speakers, Presiding Officers and Members of Parliament from across the membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The CPA is the only parliamentary association to bring together national, state, provincial and territorial Legislatures and the CPA’s membership includes 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth.

The 65th CPC conference will be hosted by the CPA President (2019-2022), Hon. Anthony Rota, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from 20 to 26 August 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The CPA Executive Committee will also attend the conference as well as the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg.

With the ever-increasing focus on greater scrutiny of Parliamentarians and the overall public trust deficit in Parliaments, the CPA’s annual conference offers the opportunity for Members to benefit from professional development, supportive learning and the sharing of best practice with colleagues from Commonwealth Parliaments together with the participation of leading international organisations.

The main conference theme for the 65th CPC is: ‘Inclusive, Accessible, Accountable and Strong Parliaments: the Cornerstone of Democracy and Essential for Development’. The conference will explore a wide range of workshop topics from responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling climate change and achieving the sustainable development goals to accessibility and technology for Parliaments and building gender sensitive Legislatures.

During the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, there will also be a number of additional conferences and meetings including:

• 38th CPA Small Branches Conference
• 7th triennial Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference
• 65th CPA General Assembly
• meetings of the CPA Executive Committee
• the Society of Clerks at the Table (SOCATT) meetings

This year, the conference will hold elections for the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee; the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP); the CPA Treasurer; and the CPA Small Branches Chairperson for new three-year terms.

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Source: https://www.cpahq.org/news/2022_08-65th-cpc-preview/

At a three-day workshop hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Small Branches network and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), twenty-one Members of Parliament from sixteen small states and jurisdictions learned how to navigate the multilateral climate landscape and implement effective climate action.

The workshop, hosted at the United Nations complex in New York, was designed to equip participants from both national and sub-national Legislatures with the knowledge and skills to represent their jurisdictions in international climate negotiations.

Despite their relatively limited contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, people living in the smallest jurisdictions, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), often suffer the most severe impacts of global warming, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events and internal displacement.

Improved access to climate finance, technology and renewable energy sources are essential for small states and jurisdictions to adapt to the global climate risk. International climate negotiations represent an opportunity for small jurisdictions to leverage their concerns and secure these resources, alongside wider commitments to protect their economies and environments from the damage caused by climate change.