By: Jeptum Tuitoek
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania held its first round of legislative elections on May 13, 2023, followed by a second round on May 27, 2023. The Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that the ruling party, El Insaf, won the election, securing107 (35.25%) out of the 176 parliamentary seats. Tewassoul became the second-largest party in the National Assembly with 11 seats (10.3%). Interest in the election was high, with a reported 72% turnout. The 2023 elections were the first to be held following the 2022 agreement between the government and the political parties to have elections during the year's first half for climatic and logistical reasons. Previously, elections were held in September.
The National Independent Election Commission praised the 2023 election for being conducted peacefully and orderly, stating their confidence in its results. Conversely, Mauritanian opposition parties challenged the validity of the 2023 election results. They blamed authorities and the National Elections Commission for vote tampering. They called for the results to be cancelled and a new vote to be done. Some added that the Electoral Commission had illegally expelled party representatives from respective polling stations, claiming irregularities.
Mauritania has a unicameral National Assembly with 176 seats. The 2023 election was the first to be held following the 2022 agreement between the major political parties and the Ministry of the Interior, which expanded the National Assembly from 157 seats to 176. Half of the Assembly’s members are elected through proportional representation, and the remaining 88 through a closed-list proportional representation vote. All members are elected to serve a 5-year term. The President is the Head of State and may serve two 5-year terms. A second round is held if no presidential candidate secures a majority of the votes. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who serves as the Head of Government.
Regarding women’s political participation, Mauritania uses a legislated candidate quota. Under Article 3 of Organic Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly, 20 seats are reserved for women candidates running in a single nationwide list. Moreover, the Law also provides political parties that elect more women than the required quota with a financial benefit. In addition, there is also a quota for young parliamentarians, which alternates for women and men on the list. The Constitution of Mauritania states that “law favours the equal access of women and men to the electoral mandate and elective functions” but does not contain specific provisions on women’s political participation or quota.
Women’s Political Participation
In the 2023 elections, out of the 176 members elected to the National Assembly, 41 (23.3%) were women. In the 2018 polls, women comprised 31 (20.3%) of the 157 members elected. Thus, women’s representation remains low. From MEWC's research, it is unclear what, if any, impact the quota had on the number of women’s representation in the 2023 elections.
In 2003, Aicha Mint Jedeine became the first woman presidential candidate when she declared her candidacy for ‘all women’. Later, in 2015, Lalla Mariem Mint Moulaye Idriss, a prominent female political figure in Mauritania, became the second woman to run for President in Mauritania. She was the head of the governing body of the Mauritanian news agency AMI. As 50 local government officials must endorse potential presidential candidates, it can be difficult for women to get that support as men do not see the credibility of women running for political office.
Women interested in standing for elections face significant obstacles. Opposition parties like Tewassoul seek to establish a strict application of Islamic law, which limits a wide range of women’s socio-political rights. To counter this, the Network of Mauritanian Women Parliamentarians (REFPAM), which is open to current and former female MPs, have been working to contribute to the proposal and adoption of laws and policies that will lead to the improvement of living conditions and the political emergence of women in Mauritania. They monitor government action to ensure that legislation, policies and programmes take gender into account. They have been creating plans for training and strategic planning for female MPs, civil society organisations and government officials to accelerate gender equality in Mauritania.
The government has adopted measures to advance women's rights in Mauritania. Act No. 2018-023 criminalizes discrimination, thus ensuring gender equality. It has made efforts to establish some measures to prevent domestic violence by developing a National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence (2014-2018) and a National Strategy for the Promotion of Women (2015-2019), both of which address violence against women. Under the Juvenile Justice Code, FGM is prohibited by law and is punishable by imprisonment and fines ranging from 120,000 to 300,000 ouguiyas. In 2022, Mauritania adopted Law No. 2022-023 on the Orientation of the National Education System, which, among its provisions, provides for compulsory education from 6 to 16 years of age. Another significant achievement has been the creation of the National Observatory for the Rights of Women and Girls. This body works to enlighten public authorities on monitoring gaps in women's rights and works toward addressing them. Steps have been taken to combat human trafficking, including establishing funds for victims, anti-slavery courts, and providing legal aid.
Conclusion
The 2023 elections were the first to be held following the 2022 agreements, which expanded the National Assembly from 157 to 176 members and moved the elections to the year's first half. The ruling party, El Insaf, won 107 seats and became the largest party in parliament. Of the 176 members elected, 41 (23.3%) were women.
While women remain underrepresented in political and public life, Mauritanian women’s groups and civil society organisations are actively working to advance women’s rights on various issues. The Network of Mauritanian Women Parliamentarians actively promotes proposals and actions to increase women’s political participation and ensure that legislative and policy initiatives include a gender perspective. Civil society organisations have been working towards drafting legislation to combat gender-based violence, including harsher penalties for rape and criminalisation of sexual harassment. Parliament has twice rejected the Bill, claiming the text does not comply with Sharia law. The Coalition of Mauritanian Organisations for Education, led by Aminetou Mint El-Moctar, works to eliminate educational discrimination against women in the country. Although women remain underrepresented in parliament and leadership positions, and many areas of women’s rights have yet to be fulfilled, women’s groups, female political leaders and civil society organisations work tirelessly to ensure women’s and girls’ equal representation and participation in all aspects of life in Mauritania.
