The Gender Equality Platform does not support the bill to replace the electoral system and considers that the introducing of the uninominal voting system will significantly reduce the representation of women in Parliament, IPN reports.

In a press release, the Platform says the equal participation of women and men in the political life is a basic element of democracy and an important objective of the Republic of Moldova. Despite the progress made in ensuring gender equality, the women continue to be significantly underrepresented in Parliament, the Government and local elective bodies.

“The Gender Equality Platform analyzed the initiative concerning the institution of the uninominal voting system that was registered in Parliament and decided not to support this bill. It pleads for the current proportional representation system that is much friendlier towards the promotion of women and that increases the number of women in decision-making bodies through minimum representation quotas of 40% for both sexes,” says the press release.

The organization notes that such apparently neutral factors as the electoral systems can have multiple effects on the participation of women in politics. Empirical evidence shows that the countries that use proportional representation systems ensure a greater presence of women in Parliament compared with the countries with majority (uninominal) electoral systems. Structural elements of the electoral systems were recognized as factors that negatively influence the women’s representation.

The Gender Equality Platform is a voluntary union of private individuals and legal entities that acts as an active and unitary voice to promote gender equality.