How do parties encourage political participation

Democratic states solve this problem by including all affected citizens in making rules and laws. Therefore, democratic citizens are not only governed by laws, they are also co- creating them Kant , Habermas , Kaufmann From this perspective, political participation — i. Moreover, democratic participation is not only about elections.

It also includes a long chain of activities leading up to elections. Deliberative theorists place high value on non-hierarchical communicative exchanges and emphasize public opinion- and will-formation processes that precede elections or legal initiatives.

These preferences are then bundled in civil society organizations, political parties, or less formal social movements and become subject of debates in mass media conversations. Some of them will be translated in political manifestos and party programs. Consequently, voting for one or the other candidate at the ballot box is the very last step in a long chain of participatory activities at various levels of society.

Recent worldwide protests addressing climate change illustrated that protesting can be exercised as a highly creative, collaborative strategy to put urgent issues ignored by established institutions on the political agenda. The latest figures for show an increase of up to 1. The two recent referenda — on Scottish Independence and then on BREXIT — have seen higher voting turnouts and have been credited with re-igniting an interest in and an engagement with politics.

The Independence Referendum saw a voter turnout rate of This could be because in referendums there is one clear issue to vote on with the promise of a clear, defined outcome and every vote counts. On the back of the Independence Referendum, party membership of the Scottish National Party rocketed to new levels. Likewise, after the BREXIT Referendum and in the run up to the general election, Labour Party membership enjoyed a boost — with many joining after being energised by the referendum campaign.

The candidates are members of political parties. Citizens vote for the party of their choice and, in this way, influence government policy. A political party brings together people with the same political ideas. By taking part in an election, parties hope to get as many of their members as possible into a representative body, like parliament or a municipal council.

In the worst cases, parties in some countries require women to submit pre-signed letters of resignation when they are nominated so that they can be replaced with men if they are elected. This type of situation can be averted if the law specifies that any woman removed from a candidate list or resigning from office must be replaced by another woman. This illustrates the importance of clarity and close attention to detail in the drafting of legislation.

Box 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina : legal requirements for gender balance on party lists. The election law of Bosnia and Herzegovina includes a provision requiring that men and women each constitute at least a third of the candidates listed, and that both occupy positions high enough on the lists to ensure balanced representation if the party wins seats in the parliament.

Since the provision is written in a gender-neutral manner, it should not be regarded as a temporary special measure as set out in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, but may constitute a permanent part of the law. Other countries have similar requirements.

Article 4, paragraph 19, of the election law requires that every candidate list include male and female candidates. The number of minority gender candidates shall be at least equal to the total number of candidates on the list, divided by three 3 rounded to the closest integer. In countries in which there is no legislation requiring that women be included on party lists, political parties may adopt voluntary targets or quotas for women candidates.

This strategy has been implemented successfully in many areas. Such measures are most effective when linked to a specific time frame and accompanied by training and resources for women party members and candidates. Parties may also adopt a code of conduct that includes requirements regarding participation by women and gender equality.

For example, political party laws could stipulate that a certain number or proportion of party candidates in elections at various levels must be women, though this would be harder to implement fairly in majority systems than in proportional systems.

Political party constitutions could require that a specific number or proportion of women be put forward as candidates, or parties could set voluntary targets to this end. Governments could also adopt measures to encourage parties to field more women as candidates in majority systems, perhaps by offering benefits such as additional campaign financing to parties nominating greater numbers of women.

As explained in Briefing Note No. National and international actors involved in shaping post-conflict electoral processes should carefully consider the benefits of incorporating these or similar special measures into electoral systems and the long-term effects they may have within specific contexts.

If appropriately applied, such measures can broaden democracy and contribute to effective peace-building. In many countries, political parties have established special wings for women that can contribute to their advancement.

This mechanism can provide an avenue for women to become active, learn political skills, and develop networks within the party.