Monday, September 22, 2008

SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON SPECIAL MEASURES FOR WOMEN

25 – 26 SEPTEMBER 2008

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

Day One – 25 September 2008

Opening of Sub-Regional Workshop on Special Measures

OBJECTIVE:

Why are we having this workshop and what we hope to achieve?

Chair: Mr. Joseph Klapat, Secretary, Department of Community Development

9.00 – 9.20

Welcome remarks

UNIFEM & PIFS

9.20 – 9.35

Official Opening

Dame Carol Kidu

9.35 – 10.00

Vote of Thanks

PIFS

10.00 – 10.15

Official Photograph

10.15-10.30

MORNING TEA

OBJECTIVE:

To Understand The Needs, Experiences and Expertise of the Workshop’s Participants

Chaired by SPC

10.30 – 11.30am

Tour-de-table

Country Delegations 10mins per country

Development partners & Observers – 3- 5 mins per organisation

OBJECTIVE:

To Understand The Reasons for Low Representation of Women in Pacific Legislatures

Chaired by SPC

11:30 – 12.00 pm

Presentation on Special Measures

· State of Women’s representation in the Pacific

· Summary of some reasons for low representation – based on PNG and Solomon Islands diagnostic studies

· Analysis of poor election outcomes for women

IPU

Sherrill Whittington

PNG Electoral Commissioner?

12.00 – 12.15

Discussion: why are women not being elected?

12.15 – 1.15pm

LUNCH

OBJECTIVE:

To Understand Why We Need Special Measures

UNIFEM

1.15 – 2.00

Why do we need special measures?

- international commitments – CEDAW

- regional commitments

What value do women add when in the legislature?

SPC

Dame Carol Kidu

2.00 – 2.15

Discussion

Participants

OBJECTIVE:

To Understand What We Mean by “Special Measures”

PIFS

2.15 – 3.15pm

What do we mean by special measures?

· Use of party lists in proportional rep countries (French territories)

· Voluntary and involuntary party quotas in non-proportional rep countries (e.g. possibly Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG)

· Reserved seats (e.g. possibly Solomons, Vanuatu, PNG, Fiji Upper House)

Rita Taphorn (UNIFEM)

Julie Ballington (IPU)

3:00 – 3:15pm

AFTERNOON TEA

3.15 – 4.00

Continue session….

Continued…

4.00 – 4.45

Legal, Constitutional, Legislative Issues, and policy Implications of Special Measures in the Melanesian States

· A quick overview on what countries might expect to go through when implementing special measures

Miles Young, IDLO

4.45 – 5.15pm

Discussion and questions

All participants

6.30-8.30

Cocktail

Official Launch of Communications Materials hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Launched by Hon. Dame Carol Kidu, MP and Minister for Community Development

All participants and invited officials

DAY 2 – 26 September 2008

OBJECTIVE:

To understand current and proposed approaches to Special Measures in the Pacific

Chaired by UNDP Pacific Centre

8:30 – 9:00am

Quick Recap on day 1

1 participant each from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu to recap what they thought were the key issues and highlights

Participants

9.00 – 10.30

Presentation on Experiences with Special Measures in the Region and Elsewhere

· The Autonomous Region of Bougainville – elected reserved seats

· PNG proposal – nominated reserved seats + local govt reservations

· PNG NCD proposal

· French territories – party lists with proportional representation

· Australian – voluntary party quotas with preferential voting

· Solomon Islands proposal

Hon. Francesca Semoso, MP

Hon. Dame Carol Kidu, MP

Lesley Clerk, former Aust MP

10:15 – 10:30am

TEA BREAK

10.30 – 11.15

Review of options for Melanesian countries, taking into account constitution, party system and electoral system

· Fiji – voluntary party quotas, appointments to Upper House, (proportional list quotas?)

· PNG – voluntary party quotas, nominated reserved seats, elected provincial reserved seats

· Vanuatu - voluntary party quotas, nominated reserved seats, elected provincial reserved seats

· Solomon Islands – nominated reserved seats, elected provincial reserved seats

Chair to summarize here

OBJECTIVE:

To Develop Country Strategies

Chaired by UNIFEM

11.15 – 1.00pm

Group Work - Country strategies for taking this forward and presentation of appropriate special measures and strategies for engaging with key policy-makers and stakeholders

· Using the discussions above, participants to discuss in country groups special measures appropriate to their countries

· Design basic strategies to take selected special measures forward

· Actual process in each country for taking special measures forward to implementation, including technical assistance

· For countries with strategies in place to share this with participants

Groups Facilitators

1: – 2.00pm

LUNCH

2.00 – 3:30pm

Group Reports

· Fiji

· Solomon Islands

· Papua New Guinea

· Vanuatu

3:30 – 3:45pm

AFTERNOON TEA

3:45 – 4:30pm

Where to from here? – Implications of measures on the ground

· Endorse Outcomes and Next Steps

Partners Chaired by PIFS

4.30 – 4.45

Wrap Up and Thank You

PIFS

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