Dr. Andreea PAUL (Vass)

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• Dr. Andreea PAUL (Vass)
• Participation of Women in Romanian Political Life
  
• 19 November, 2009
• European Parliament, Brussels

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Woman active participation in Romanian politics
4 factsheets
1. Presidential elections
2. Government            3. Parliament
4. Local
administration
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1. Romanian Presidential elections

• NO women President or PM in the whole history of
  Romania
• 2000 Gratiela Birla is the first woman candidate
  and the single one - INDIPENDENT 1 votes

• Lia Roberts, a Romanian-born politician asserted
  in the United States Republican Party - announced
  her intention to run in 2004, but withdrew from
  the race a month before the official start of
  campaigning.

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2. Romanian Government

• 2007 and 2008 no women Minister
• 28 of positions of Secretary of State and
  Secretary General were held by women
• 42 - level 2 of the decision (directors)
• 2009 - 14 of Ministers are women (3 women)
• 12 out of 19 ministries has no women in the next
  2 decision levels
• 25 women in the 1st 46 in the 2nd
• EU average 25 women, 75 men

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3. Romanian Parliament

• Women
• 2004 2008 2008 2012
• Senate 9.5 5.8
• Chamber of
• Deputies 10.5 11.4
• EU Parliaments average 24 vs. RO 9.7 (2008)
• European Parliament 2004 - 2009 31
• 2009 - 2014 35

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4. Romanian Local Administration

• 2004 2008 2008 - 2012
• County Councils 15.4 12.6
• Local Councils 11.5 10.8
• Prefect 9.5
  4.7
• Sub-Prefect 12 10.7
• Mayors 114 women out of 3,184 in 2008 - 3.5

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Conclusion

• Romania shows a low level of womens
  representation with
• positive trends at the ministery level
• negative trends at the local administration
  levels
• 2 political parties has adopted a voluntary quota
  left only on the paper
• The parliamentary electoral system reform in 2008
  in favour of proportional selection in
  single-member district (PR in SMD) shows no
  significant change in women representation
• Romania claimes the 70s place in the World
  Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Index 2009 out
  of 134 states, losing ground year by year
• rank 126 in political empowerment in 2009
• rank 34 in economic participation and opportunity
  in 2009.

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Hope for the future

• The Democrat-Liberal Party nominated in 2008 the
  first woman on the third high ranking state
  representative Roberta Anastase President of
  the Chamber of Deputies
• Romania has the first PPE Woman Organisation
  President Sulfina Barbu
• The National Agengy for Gender Equality adopted a
  valuable National Strategy for Gender Equality
  2010-2012 and a reliable Action Plan, but not a
  decisive legislation initiative.
• In the DLP we have the first draft of a Political
  Party Strategy for Women Promotion

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My vision

• Economic recovery after the worst ever crisis in
  a world led by men requires the best of talent,
  ideas and innovation, morality and social ethics.
  It is therefore more important now than ever
  before for Romania to pay attention to one of the
  fundamental cornerstones the skills and talent
  of our female human resources.
• Without rethinking, redesigning and rebuilding
• the electoral system in favour of gender quotas
  and
• the mentalities in favour of women engagement,
  empowerment and contribution
• we will keep on lagging behind the countries with
  high human development index, authentic
  democracy, economic development and low
  corruption.
• Lets start by voting during elections an by
  getting over the reluctance to enter in politics!