Women's Empowerment and Good Governance Through - amarc

Best Experiences for an Action Research Process 112
confrontation with attacks against their sex, denigration and violence against women, all of
which play a dissuasive role.
Women remain in a minority position in political parties despite the efforts of a small number
of women within them, with the exception of Marie Denise Claude, daughter of Sylvio Claude
and Mirlande Hyppolite Manigat, who became the current leader of RDNP (Union of National
Progressive Democrats).
In a patriarchal society like Haiti, formal political space is men’s prerogative
The statutory or legislative measures for the advancement of women’s participation, such
as the quota, are not respected in the current government, for example, there are only two
women out of eighteen ministers, one for the Condition of women and women’s rights, and a
woman minister of commerce and industry. In Parliament, there are but four women senators
out of 29.
Convinced of their ability to participate in the improvement of governance in the country, women
are determined to pursue the struggle in order to be present in the political spaces where
decisions are made.
The weak role of women in decision making that can be observed in the political arena is not
much different from what exists in the media sector in general or in community radio in particular.
It is in this context that the struggle of women in community radio began in 2001 with the
creation of REFRAKA (a community radio women’s network), which accompanies women and
gives them technical support to promote the gender issue throughout community radio programming.
This initiative makes it possible not only to struggle against women’s discrimination
but also to strengthen their capacity to become true community communicators. And, finally,
that women’s roles on community radio teams may be determined according to their capacity
and not according to their sex.
Today, women, who used to be marginalized, have taken a front seat in radio management.
One is currently the coordinator of a community radio station in the Plateau Central (RVP, in
Papaye) and others work as technicians, reporters, radio hosts or producers.