Political Party Guidelines Eng

ish Labour Party has managed to change completely the gender ratio of its MPs. As of April 2019, 47%
of the Labour MPs are women. In the Conservative party there have been no such temporary special
measures, and only 20% of the MPs are women. 13
But to be able to nominate women as candidates, there have to be women who are active within the
party. Not as tea-makers for functions (of course they are needed, too), but as policy-makers for the
party programmes, election manifestos and so on. Otherwise there is no recruiting base for good women
candidates.
Political parties need to look at themselves: Are we inclusive? Do we make space for women (and people
belonging to minority groups)? Do we know what voters want? Or do we just imagine that we know?
Parties should also see themselves as part of a bigger picture, in which they have responsibilities not
only to themselves. Myanmar is a developing country, and development is a continuous process through
which women and men, with varying degrees of external support, increase their options for improving
their quality of life. It is based on women’s and men’s mobilisation, utilising local resources to the
utmost in a process in which peoples’ needs are met, their organisations are strengthened and the environment
is preserved. Development should encompass positive changes at five different levels. These
are individual, family, society, organisation/institution and state. If there is a coordinated and balanced
positive change at these levels, true human development can be said to have taken place.
According to Women’s League of Burma: “The living standards of women, children, older people and
differently-abled people are key indicators to measure the development and welfare of a society. As
women attain a higher standard of living, so too, does the whole of society.” 14
GENDER EQUALITY: A SHORTCUT TO DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY 7