Bernicat: Participation of women crucial to strengthening democracy

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat has said that the full participation of women in all stages of the electoral process in the country must be assured, as inclusivity is crucial to a strong democracy. Speaking at a round-table discussion titled “Advancing Women’s Leadership in Elections,” on Tuesday, she said: “Strong democracies value the participation of all citizens in the political process and make every effort to include everyone’s voice.  Strong democracies uphold human rights and make sure each and every person, including women, has an equal opportunity to fulfill their full potential in life, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or personal beliefs.” Though she praised the accomplishments of individual women leaders in Bangladesh, Bernicat said more needed to be done as women are still largely absent from decision-making positions at political parties and among elected representatives. “The full participation of women in the electoral process has been discouraged by a number of factors, including by the practices of Islamic political parties that have zero female representatives in their ranks, restrictive social and religious expectations, and gender-based and political violence,” she said. She added that violence, whether gender-based, political or otherwise, had no place in a strong democracy. “When elections are inclusive, free, and peaceful the results are more likely to be respected by voters,” Bernicat said.