21 October 2021, Moroni, Union of Comoros. Promotion of women's political participation.
In the continuity of the activities carried out around human rights and gender by the National Commission of Human Rights and Freedoms of the Union of the Comoros (CNDHL) supported by the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie , today members of the Comorian section of the platform of women in politics in the Indian Ocean were brought together for specific training aimed at strengthening their knowledge of women's rights and to support the strategic plan of this pioneering organization in the fight for gender equality in the Union of the Comoros (UdC).
Group work took place after a presentation of the texts in force on women's rights, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the achievements and challenges of women's political participation in UdC. During this work, the women were able to concentrate on identifying the obstacles and levers to their representation in politics, specific to the socio-cultural context of the UdC. They distinguished the challenges of women's engagement in politics from those of their nomination as candidates or their elections.
In the second part of the day, the activities and budget of the Women in Politics Platform were reviewed, followed by amendments to the statutes of the organisation proposed in order to open the horizons of the platform and to welcome young women with the desire and potential to enter politics. The day ended with the election of the new board of the organisation, during which Mrs. Moinaécha Mroudjae was elected as the new president, succeeding Mrs. Sittou Raghadat Mohamed.
Mrs. Moinaécha Mroudjae, a teacher by profession, is the first woman mayor of the Union of the Comoros. She first became involved in women's development associations, working in particular in partnership with United Nations agencies. She directed a research project on the status of Comorian women from 1987 to 1991 and was Director of the Community Development Support Fund (FADC) from 1992 to 2000. Appointed Minister of Gender Promotion and Social Protection from 2008 to 2010, she was Mayor in the commune of Bandamadji-Itsandra from 2003 to 2012. She was a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) from 2014 to 2020 and is a pioneer in Comorian politics.
This activity is part of the project to support the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in the Union of the Comoros, financed by the Regional Office of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, and implemented by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) with its partner Earth Echo Communications.
