WIP Legislation

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Throughout the Pacific, there has been increasing interest and commitment to enacting legislation to specifically introduce temporary special measures to promote women in national parliaments and/or local level governance structures. This page collects together Pacific legislation and Bills on women in politics If you know of a Bill or law which we have missed, please send it to the PacWIP team at pacwip@gmail.com.

Vanuatu Municipalities (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2013

Vanuatu Municipalities (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2013

In 2013, the Vanuatu Parliament passed a historic amendment to the Municipalities Act, providing for reserved seats for women in the municipal councils. The quota provision is regarded as a ‘special temporary measure’ and was implemented for the first time in the Port Vila Municipal Council elections that took place in December 2013. The Port Vila Municipal Council has 14 seats, 13 of which are currently occupied by male councillors. With this new Amendment Act, five seats will be reserved for women candidates at every municipal elections, and the women candidates running for the reserved seats will be elected from a separate ballot. A female candidate can either contest a reserved seat or a general seat in a ward. Related news: 'Reserved Seats for women approved'; Vanuatu Daily Post, August 31st 2013

Author: State Law Office

Institution: VANUATU MUNICIPALITIES (AMENDMENT) ACT NO. 11 OF 2013

Date: N/A

File size and type: 577.89 KB

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Samoa Constitution Amendment Act 2013

Samoa Constitution Amendment Act 2013

In June 2013, the Legislative Assembly of Samoa unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Act 2013 that provides for a minimum of 10 percent of seats (equivalent of five seats) for women Members of Parliament. . The system proposes a "floating" five reserved seats for women. If no woman is elected during the elections, the amendment is activated and five seats are added to the Assembly. This will mean a Samoan parliament with a total of 54 seats. If one woman is elected then four seats are added and parliament has 53 seats, and so on. When extra seats are added, they are filled by women who have already run in open constituencies. The unsuccessful women candidates who receive the highest percentage of votes in the election will fill the requisite number of reserved seats.

Author: Samoa Constitution Amencdment Act 2013

Institution: Legislative Assembly of Samoa

Date: N/A

File size and type: 78.65 KB

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Constitutional Amendment No.32 – Equality and Participation Law 2011

Constitutional Amendment No.32 – Equality and Participation Law 2011

On 24 May 2012, the PNG National Council of Women published a notice in The National newspaper calling on the Caretaker Prime Minister to direct the PNG Electoral Commissioner to include women's electorate in the 2012 National Elections in accordance with the constitutional amendments to Section 101, passed 23 November 2011. The notice included a copy of the Constitutional Amendment No.32 - Equality and Participation Law 2011.

Author: PNG National Council of Women

Institution: Based on PNG Parliament certified law

Date: N/A

File size and type: 413.96 KB

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FSM Reserved Seats Bill CB 10-16

FSM Reserved Seats Bill CB 10-16

The Bill, which was introduced to the FSM Congress in 2010, proposed an amendment to the Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia, for the purpose of increasing the representation of women in Congress by increasing the number of at-large seats in Congress, and reserving said seats for women. The Bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations, but was not returned to Congress for consideration. With the elections in 2011, the Bill has now lapsed.

Author: Office of the Speaker of Parliament

Institution: FSM Congress

Date: N/A

File size and type: 11.92 KB

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Constitution of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville 2004

Constitution of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville 2004

In the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in PNG, following the end of the twenty year conflict, a new constitution and electoral system were devised in 2004. The Constitution will guide the region for ten years, after which a referendum will be held for the region to decide on its own long-term future. The Constitution reserves three seats in the legislature for women (and three seats would also be reserved for ex-combatants), with the seats elected directly by the people. Both women and men are allowed to vote for all seats. Bougainville has 33 constituencies to elect ordinary members. The province is also divided into 3 bigger constituencies – North, Central and South – and these are used for the 3 seats reserved for women (and 3 excombatants). Each voter casts 3 votes for representatives in the Legislative Assembly – one for their local MP, one for the reserved woman’s seat and one for the reserved ex-combatant’s seat

Author: Government of ARB

Institution: Government of ARB

Date: N/A

File size and type: 768.79 KB

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‘French Parity Act’: Republic of France ACT No. 2000 ­493 ‘to promote equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elective offices’

‘French Parity Act’: Republic of France ACT No. 2000 ­493 ‘to promote equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elective offices’

Act No. 2000-493 of 6 June 2000 to promote equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elective functions andOrganic Law No. 2000-612 of 4 July 2000 designed to promote equal access of women and men to elected members of provincial assemblies and the Congress of New Caledoniathe Assembly of French Polynesia and the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna Islands. Loi n° 2000-493 du 6 juin 2000 tendant à favoriser l'égal accès des femmes et des hommes aux mandats électoraux et fonctionsélectives et loi organique n° 2000-612 du 4 juillet 2000 tendant à favoriser l'égal accès des femmes et des hommes aux mandats de membres des assemblées de province et du congrès de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, de l'assemblée de la Polynésie française et de l'assemblée territoriale des îles Wallis et Futuna. See also the French Assemblee Nationale website relating to Parity Law and the archives relating to the parity, equality between women and men.

Author: ACT No. 2000-­‐493 'to promote equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elective offices'

Institution: Unofficial English Translation of the Journal Officiel de la Republique Francaise

Date: N/A

File size and type: 49.37 KB

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