Endorse female leaders: Kakas

NATIONAL Council of Women (NCW) president Scholla Kakas has appealed to political parties to endorse womencandidates for the National Election.
The endorsement is in line with the proposed bill to have reserved seats for women in Parliament.
Mrs Kakas said all 109 MPs should support the bill.
If the bill passes, women would be able to stand for reserved seats in the National Election in 2012.
 “We all need to  stand and work together. Women are also equally concerned about the development of the country.
“We need to increase the number of women in all decision making levels,”she said.
She reminded the current MPs that it was because of women that they were now in Parliament.
“Remember, you came into this world through mothers, so give us a chance,” she said.
Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu had been working on the bill since 2007.
She too, is urging  politicians to give women a chance to have more voice in Parliament.
“The Pacific is the worst region in terms of female representation in Parliament. I don’t go in there (Parliament) and represent women. I represent men and women,” she said.
If the bill is passed, women would have reserved seats, not nominated seats.
The proposed model would see the creation of a two-member province electorate in which one seat would be reserved for a woman and the other for the governor.
The female member would represent the province, but not be the governor.
She would sit at the provincial assembly and Parliament and would be eligible to be appointed as a minister and the chairperson of a Parliamentary committee.
 Dame Carol said the bill would be tabled in the next session of Parliament.
The bill is on the notice paper as required by the Constitution.