NGOs Say Women Could Help End the Political Impasse
More women should be part of any future high-level negotiations between the ruling CPP and opposition CNRP to resolve the current political deadlock, a coalition of women’s rights NGOs said Tuesday in a statement. In a joint statement by more than 20 organizations, the groups criticized the absence of female political players during the failed September 16 and 17 negotiations between the two parties. “To exclude women in the negotiating team critically affects the implementation of democracy, which requires the involvement of women and gender-based promotion that the two parties have previously declared they supported,” the groups said in the statement. … CNRP lawmaker-elect Mu Sochua defended her absence from September’s negotiations and said she has been very much involved in the talks even though she was not seated at the table in September. “There are three women in the permanent committee, like myself. I am active and very much a part of the permanent committee and in the negotiation process,” she said, adding that while there should be more female lawmakers, it is also difficult to persuade women to run as candidates.
Kuch Naren and Dene-Hern Chen
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ngos-say-women-could-help-end-the-political-impasse-46267/
