Women's Coalition calls for gender equality in local administrations ahead of elections

As the local elections on March 31 approach, the Women's Coalition has issued a call for gender equality in local governance.

In the 2019 elections, a woman candidate emerged victorious in just four out of the 81 city municipalities. Among all 1,397 municipalities, including both districts and towns, only 41 were secured by women candidates.

Outlining their demands, the Coalition stated the following:

- Since 2002, as the Women's Coalition, we have been advocating for equal participation of women in all aspects of social, economic, and political life. As part of this struggle, we monitor the activities of municipalities in collaboration with women's organizations.

- Our monitoring activities show us that, despite our patient efforts as women's organizations, we are far behind in getting municipalities to implement more egalitarian policies, from fund creation to volunteer support. This is despite putting all our energy, knowledge, and networks into it.

- Moreover, the biggest effort is spent on making municipal executives who do not have a perspective on gender equality understand this issue. We lack decisive channels where we can influence the re-candidacy of managers with whom we have established a good partnership or prevent those with negative experiences from becoming candidates.

- We do not want to distance ourselves from the fundamental democratic processes while expressing good intentions, as political parties adopting central candidate determination processes and the constant imposition of central government control through appointed trustees take us away from these basic democratic workings.

- Therefore, we call on all political parties: We have conducted the oversight that you have not done in the municipalities where you determine the administrators, and we share the results with you. Evaluate yourselves accordingly. If you want to talk about equality, we offer you a roadmap; use it in your election programs.

- Ensure the concrete realization and follow-up guarantee of the goals of gender equality in your municipalities in election programs with equal representation and participation.

- Declare the concrete steps of the demand for equal citizenship that women have been fighting for for years, based on their own lives, in your election program!

- There are too few women in municipal administrations. Few women mean systematically excluded women. We will not accept this deception. Ensure full equality in mayoralties and municipal councils, not just a small number of women!

- Municipalities cannot leave a single citizen or social group outside and behind in their areas of authority and responsibility. Listen to everyone's voice to include everyone; ensure the participation of various groups based on language, religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, lifestyle, and conditions!

- Democratic election processes cannot be discussed without including women and women's issues! Therefore, engage with women's organizations!

- Gender equality requires a determined political will; show that will!

- As women's organizations, we will continue to be vigilant about what has been done and what has not been done, just as we have been so far! (EMK/VK)