The article focuses on the reactions of Anny Modi, a women’s rights activist in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), regarding the provisional publication of the candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). According to her, this publication is the consequence of an electoral law which she considers “regressive” for the political rights of women.
In the article, Anny Modi points out that the amended electoral law mixes the political rights of women with those of the elderly and the disabled. She regrets that this modification does not force any political party to align women on their lists, but that it rewards those who do so by exempting them from paying the deposit.
According to Anny Modi, this modification of the electoral law led to a low participation of women when the lists were submitted, with only 17% of women among the admissible candidacies. She believes that political parties with significant resources have circumvented this requirement of parity by filing lists without taking into account the equitable representation of women.
Anny Modi concludes by deploring that women’s demands for equitable political participation have not been taken into account by the legislator, and that the political rights of women in the DRC have been regressed as a result of this modification of the electoral law.
This reaction from Anny Modi highlights the importance of ensuring equal political participation for women and highlights the gaps in current gender legislation. It is essential to continue to promote and defend the rights of women in the DRC in order to foster a more equal and inclusive society