Almotamar.net - Chairman of the Supreme Commission for Elections and referendum (SCER) Khalid al-Sharif affirmed that the woman has represented special priority in orientation of the political leadership and that interest was expressed and embodied on the ground when the woman gained a percentage in the structure of the first supreme commission for elections following the reunification of Yemen in 1990. He said though that percentage did not embody absolute equality in the then new constitutional establishment it represented a qualitative leap and a daring step on the road of political empowering the woman due to the fact that the experiment was infantile and the peculiarity of the society.

In the ceremony of inauguration of the SCER on Sunday of the programme of the political empowerment of the woman in Yemen 2008-2010, which is supported by the United Nations and the European Commission, al-Sharif indicated that absence of the woman from membership of the SCER formed later was not a fallback from the project and the choice of the political empowerment of the woman. He added that the General Administration for the Woman Affairs was established as part of the established structure of the SCER, representing permanent representation adopting enlightenment, planning and follow-up.

Al-Sharif said all Yemeni laws guaranteed to the woman the right to full participation in different walks of political, economic, social and cultural life and that the illiteracy, especially the political, is considered one of the main hindrances before the woman participation in the political life.

On her part the resident coordinator of the UN programme in Sana'a confirmed that the United Nations Organisation is committed to support the electoral process in Yemen and that her office is an essential partner with the SCER since the beginning of the electoral operations in Yemen the UN official added that the establishment of the General Administration for the Woman at the SCER is a distinguished step , saying by that Yemen is considered as the first in the world that founds a specialised administration within the electoral establishment

She also praised the programme for the woman political empowerment that is carried out by the SCER in cooperation with the UN programme and the European Commission, adding the programme aims to realise positive results for the woman in the upcoming elections.

Director of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) Office and the representative of the European Commission in Sana'a have talked on the importance of the woman political empowerment project and the proportion of its success as project for participation along with administrative coverage supporting the sector of the woman and the support for capacities of the SCER.