Senegal’s Campaign for Parity and Successful Adoption of the Law on Parity 2010

B. CASE STUDIES

Senegal’s Campaign for Parity and Successful Adoption of the Law on Parity 2010

During the AWD, Senegal achieved remarkable progress concerning women’s right to political participation. The successful adoption of the Law on Parity in 2010 represented a significant breakthrough for women’s political participation. Under the new Law, absolute parity between men and women applies to all elective and partial elective bodies. All political parties must compose candidate lists that alternate male and female candidates, with odd numbers favouring parity and those failing to comply being rendered inadmissible.984 Before adopting the Law, Senegalese women had been neglected and under-represented in decision-making bodies.985

The cross-political party Senegalese Council of Women (COSEF) has been committed to increasing women’s political representation in Senegal since its creation in 1995. COSEF envisions the inclusion of women at all levels of the decision-making process and without discrimination.986 In 2005, COSEF launched its Campaign for Parity, a systematic and targeted effort in partnership with civic organisations and women’s political movements. COSEF and its partners began by familiarising the Senegalese population with the concept of parity. They targeted parliamentarians, religious leaders, political parties, the media, women’s associations and CSOs.

COSEF and its partners mobilised widely and used multiple strategies and actions as part of the five-year campaign. For example, COSEF launched a national petition that engaged a large number of people from different sectors of society demanding parity as a criterion for election lists’ admissibility. It also organised training on parity, good governance and gender budgeting and sessions on leadership skills, advocacy and communication techniques for female candidates. COSEF printed leaflets, aired radio and television broadcasts on parity and organised sit-ins and neighbourhood talks to mobilise social support. It held forums at the national, regional and municipal levels and advocacy meetings with influential people including parliamentarians, leaders of political parties and religious and opinion leaders. COSEF continued to lobby decision-makers at the highest level, including the National Assembly, the government and the presidency. In 2007, COSEF and its partners submitted a Draft Law on Parity to the minister of women before carrying out a March for Parity on the streets to physically deliver the Draft Law to the president of the republic. Importantly, the president encouraged leaders of political parties to move towards parity.

The campaign was not without challenges. In 2007, opposition parties sought to have the Draft Law on Parity declared unconstitutional because it violated the Preamble and Article 1 of the Constitution, which provides for equality before the law of all citizens without distinction regarding origin, race, sex and religion. The Constitutional Court subsequently upheld the verdict. The matter was resolved when other groups successfully fought to amend the Constitution in 2008.987 COSEF and the Parity Monitoring Committee renewed their campaign with increased vigour, seeking legal and political expertise for a subsequent Draft Law988 as well as holding workshops and forums and sending a letter of encouragement to the head of state for his actions in favour of absolute parity. Finally, in 2010 the Law on Parity was successfully adopted, and in 2011 the subsequent implementation decree.

The 2012 legislative elections were the first time the Law on Parity was applied.989 COSEF organised training for 300 female candidates.990 The election results represented a significant achievement as women’s representation more