The Constituent Assembly of Nepal: An Agenda for Women - CAPWIP

International IDEA - The Constituent Assembly of Nepal: An Agenda for WomenHow have women elsewhere beeninvolved in making constitutions?Women have often been the most active groups in constitution-makingprocesses. They have been able to secure worthwhile gains for women in newconstitutions.Africa has been a major scene of constitution making over the last 10 to 20 years, and women have played aconsiderable part, and achieved some notable victories in terms of getting women-friendly provisions into theconstitutions.In Uganda, it was widely acknowledged that no other group was as organized and cohesive as women'sorganizations when it came to making a concerted effort to influence the Constitution writing process. Women'sorganizations wrote more memoranda submitted to the Constitutional Commission than any other sectorof society. 14In the various African countries that have seen constitutional review recently, women have been active in civiceducation: they have formed caucuses inside and outside the constitution-making body, they have lobbied, andthey have communicated with the broader public through constitution-making newsletters and radio programmes.They have prepared Women's Charters -- with more demands than could ever be put in a constitution, but fromwhich constitutional provisions can be drawn. In Kenya, women's groups were among those invited to sendmembers to the Constituent Assembly (about one-third of the members came through civil society and notpolitical parties). They had a well-organized caucus in the Constituent Assembly, which met several times a week,to share experiences about how the process was going and ideas about the next stage. There was a draft constitutionprepared by a commission, and a group of women's organisations prepared a detailed commentary on this draft,suggesting further improvements for women, and pointing out the parts of the draft that should be retained. Thiswas a technical document drafted by lawyers. In all these countries, the constitutions that were produced includedimportant provisions for women. 15 But the women had to be constantly vigilant.14 Aili Mari Tripp, "New Trends in Women's Political Participation in Africa" page 19.15 Though the Kenyan draft never got to the point of being adopted as the constitution of the country.18