Women MPs actively participating in parliamentary business

Constituting one-fifth of parliament, women parliamentarians accounted for nearly 35 per cent of parliamentary agenda during 2021-22 – 38 per cent in the National Assembly and 25 per cent in the Senate.

According to the Annual Women Parliamentarians Performance Report 2022 released by Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) on the occasion of International Women’s Day, this year’s contribution by women parliamentarians is their highest annual contribution since the 15th National Assembly took oath in 2018.

They had sponsored 33 per cent parliamentary agenda in 2018-19 and 2019-20 each, and 28 per cent in 2020-21.

The women parliamentarians have proactively and assertively performed their legislative, representative and oversight functions in both the houses of parliament during 2021-22 as remained the most regular members throughout the year.

Each woman MNA attended 65 (76%) of the National Assembly sittings against male MNAs’ average of 52 (60%) sittings. Similarly, a woman senator attended an average of 42 (77%) Senate sittings against their male counterparts’ average of 38 (70%) sittings.

According to the report, nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of the women MNAs’ agenda and six per cent agenda by women senators either lapsed or remained unaddressed during the reporting period. With the exception of parliamentary questions, the percentage of unaddressed legislative and representative agenda goes as high as 55 per cent. More than two-third of the calling attention notices (CANs), more than half of the private members’ bills, and all of their private members’ resolutions, motions for public interest discussions, and proposals for amendments to assembly and Senate rules either lapsed or are still pending.

Unlike the National Assembly, the Senate appeared to be more responsive to women parliamentarians’ agenda. However, the female senators’ motions for public interest discussions, including motion under Rule 218 and adjournment motions, in the Senate remained unaddressed.

On average, each woman MNA contributed 10 agenda items to the assembly’s Orders of the Day against five by a male MNA. Similarly, each woman senator contributed nine agenda items to the upper house’s Orders of the Day against an average of seven by each male senator. All women parliamentarians – except four MNAs and one senator – actively participated in their respective house’s proceedings.

Thematically, the women parliamentarians sought discussions on a range of public importance issues including: coronavirus disease 2019 impact, relief efforts and vaccination drives; rights and entitlements of employees and workers; inflation; energy supply and pricing; performance of government departments; protection of women, children and human rights; national and cross-border trade and commerce; foreign affairs; and water management in the country. The legislative agenda put forward by women parliamentarians included constitutional amendments concerning women’s rights and local governments, criminal law reforms, improving health governance, protection of workers’ rights, and institutional reforms.