By SEPKOLIN WALNE (Journalist)
POLITICAL Parties must endorse 10 per cent of women’s candidates in the 2027 national general elections, says the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission Registrar Emmanuel Pok.
Mr Pok stated that if a political party endorses 50 candidates, then 5 must be women, and it is compulsory.
“If they fail to endorse women for two consecutive elections Political Parties will be deregistered.
“That is a law, and this law was passed on the 24th of March 2026.
“We are happy and proud that women’s political participation is formally legislated in our country,” Mr Pok said.
Registrar Pok stated that women have been struggling to put up with election administration, people’s attitudes, and behaviors during polling and campaigning.
He said the code of conduct now comes in for political parties, the scrutiny, the campaign managers and voters to recognise the importance of women’s political leadership in our country.
“Making the election environment conducive for women leaders to participate in the election process.
“At the registry of political parties in partnership with the UNDP and UN Women, we also have a program called the Women Make a Change program.
“In this program, we are now going out and exploring potential women leaders in the communities to contest for elections,” Mr Pok said.
Mr Pok revealed that some political parties are telling us that we want to endorse women candidates, but where are the women leaders?
“The challenge for us is to get the women leaders, create the pool of women leaders, and create the marketplace where political parties will come and look for their candidates.
“One of the challenges that I’ve always advocated for is that women leaders must go and join a political party if they have
that intention to contest for elections, they must go and join a political party, and be a voice in that party,” Mr Pok said.