“Gender and Elections” as a topic shouldn’t be an important issue at this time, but it is. In 2020 we still have equality goals in our development agendas.
We must continue with this objective and this topic as a development goal to 2030, and even beyond, if it is required to achieve something basic and fundamental for humanity: Equality for everyone in every area. We need to keep writing about it, we must keep fighting until we can convince others, we need to change the minds in order to change the laws.
Why women must fight to achieve something that apparently looks logical and fair? Is it not fair to share half of the power, half of the decision’s chairs, the same rights and the right to have a life without obstacles?
The elections are a fundamental pillar of basic human rights. In that context, equal political participation and electoral rights are called to be a main objective in this century, because without equality of voices in parliament and other government decision bodies it won’t be possible to have the same rights under the patriarchal majority vision of our society. We need to have strong blocks of citizens with gender mainstreaming perspective. Until equality transforms into justice.
Eduardo Quezada Jaramillo, Departmental Electoral Advisor for La Paz and Oruro