Impact Story: Ensuring women’s participation in electoral processes in the Central African Republic – Central African Republic

PARTNERS FOR CHANGE

UN Women’s work in support of the Central African Republic’s 2020-2021 legislative elections was implemented in partnership with UNDP, MINUSCA and the European Union and is part of UN Women’s flagship programme on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation.

Results of coordinated work meant that 40% of electoral trainers were women, 880 community volunteers performed outreach to ensure women’s participation in the electoral process, and 135 political coaches were trained to provide one-on-one coaching to over 540 potential women candidates.

The 1325 hotline was established with United Nations Police, and the Forum for Women Parliamentarians was established in 2017 by UN Women and UNDP. For the 2020-2021 elections, UN Women received financial support from: UN Peacebuilding Fund, Canada, Women in Politics Fund financed by Sweden, Ezingo Fund (a multi-partner trust fund) and UNDP under the basket fund project “Women and Elections: My Vote, My Right” to which the United Kingdom,
Germany, France, the European Union, Japan and Italy have contributed.

WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Decades of civil wars, political tensions, failure in the implementation of political and peace agreements, among other root causes, have led the Central African Republic to grapple with political instability, violence, and inadequate socio-economic and infrastructural conditions for reconstruction. This context has exacerbated discrimination against women and girls through heightened sexual and gender-based violence, limited economic opportunities and marginalization in decision-making processes.

UN Women’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda aims to address the specific challenges faced by women and girls in times of conflict and to support their meaningful participation in decision-making in all sectors.

Since 2019, UN Women and other partners have been supporting the Central African Republic Government in implementing its second National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325, aimed at strengthening the legal framework, coordination of work and accountability in the implementation of the resolution.