Female Face of Legislature in CIS Members

More than 360 women MPs work in the parliaments of the Commonwealth countries united by the IPA CIS. Their role is growing in a rapidly changing world.

49 women participate in the work of the IPA CIS Council and its Permanent Commissions. The IPA CIS governing body is headed by Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko. Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova, Speaker of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva take a very active part in the work of the IPA CIS Council.

There are women in the government of the all CIS Members parliament. In addition to Speakers, eight ladies hold positions of Vice-Speakers in the Senate and Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Federation Council and State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Majlisi namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Chair of the Committee of Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Aigul Kuspan heads the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Political Issues and International Cooperation. Chair of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova leads the work of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Science and Education.

There are eight female MPs among the Deputy Chairs of the IPA CIS Permanent Commissions.

Irina Sokolova is a Plenipotentiary Representative of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

The Struggle for Equal Rights

In the CIS countries, women gained the right to elect and to be elected only 100 years ago. It was only 1917 when women received political rights. Nowadays women hold from 16% to 40% places in the CIS Member Nations’ parliaments.

Protection of Women’s Rights at the IPA CIS

Gender issues remain an important part of the political agenda of the CIS Member Nations. The IPA CIS has adopted a number of Model Laws, recommendations and concepts in this field. One of the most important became the Model Law on Public Guarantees of Gender Equality adopted in 2005. In the next two years it is planned to develop a Model Law on Maternity (Family) Capital, Recommendations on the formation of the Model List of works, professions and positions prohibited or restricted for women labor, and a number of other documents aimed at ensuring women’s rights and support of various spheres of life.

International Consolidation of Women in the Struggle for Their Rights

With the emergence of the Eurasian Women’s Forum, women from the CIS Member Nations and other countries have a platform to dispute on necessity to involve women more actively in solving problems in health care, ecology, economic, social development, digital transformation and education.

Since 2015, the Eurasian Women’s Forum, organized by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the IPA CIS, has been held at the IPA CIS headquarters – the Tavricheskiy Palace.