MEP Cyrus Engerer Pushes For Gender-Balanced Lists On Parties’ MEP Ballots
Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer has affirmed his belief in gender-balanced ballot sheets for political parties at European Parliament elections.
Political parties should be obliged to have an equal number of men and women on their lists, according to MEP Cyrus Engerer.
“We need a culture that naturally leads to more women being elected. One way of achieving this is obliging political parties to have an equal number of men and women on their lists,” he explained.
This, he said, will help reshape the political landscape to reflect the true diversity of society.
The pursuit of gender equality in representation is a moral obligation, he said, and while progress has been made, it is not enough to just “tick boxes off”.
Engerer forms of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) who came up with the proposal. However, the resolution was not made through the Council, made up of country leaders.
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“It is not up to the different government in the Council to endorse this,” Engerer warned.
“The next elections will be tough for civil rights. We are up against a well-organised and well-financed anti-gender movement.”
The MEP also believes the gender-balanced party lists should extend to local politics, and that the current gender quota mechanism, which adds up to 12 extra seats in Parliament should less than 40% of elected MPs be women, should be a last legal resort.
“Having a more diverse and pluralistic parliament is not simply a box-ticking exercise.
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