UNITED NATIONS, CMC – A United Nations agency is calling for women’s “equal representation” in the democratic process in Haiti as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country moves towards elections planned for 2026 under a newly announced electoral calendar.
UN Women Americas and the Caribbean said that initiatives to mobilise women and support their effective participation are “critical to ensuring that forthcoming democratic processes promote gender equality.
“Despite some progress, women’s participation in governance in Haiti remains limited,” it said, noting that “representation of women in key bodies such as the CPT (Transitional Presidential Council) and the government falls below the minimum constitutional quota of 30 per cent.”
The CPT is a nine-member governing body formed in April 2024 following the ouster of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry. It is tasked with guiding Haiti through a political crisis, addressing gang violence, and preparing for elections by February 2026.
UN Women said that, currently, women occupy just over 22 per cent of government positions and 11.11 per cent in the CPT, without voting rights. It said at the electoral level, women represent 27 per cent of staff in the Departmental Election Bureau (BED) and the Communal Electoral Office (BEC) offices.
UN Women said that while the Truth, Justice and Reparation Commission comprises 42.85 per cent women, “this underrepresentation underscores persistent challenges to achieving gender equality in leadership and decision-making roles.
It said Haitian women, under the leadership of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights (MCFDF) and with the support of UN Women, have been “actively engaged in the constitutional review process, advocating for concrete measures to ensure that the constitution’s minimum quota of 30 per cent female representation is achieved and protected.”
UN Women said that though the transitional authorities suspended the constitutional review process, “the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) made significant efforts to ensure that concrete measures were retained in the draft electoral decree.
UN Women said these measures include rejecting any electoral list with fewer than 30 percent women, and establishing an additional fund to be allocated to political parties that include more than 50 percent of women among their candidates.
Following that achievement, UN Women said it collaborated with the CEP to launch a national campaign in Port-au-Prince (West Department) in November 2025, convening around 150 participants from all 10 departments of Haiti, including 63 women from outside the capital.
“The campaign aimed to mobilize women for effective political participation, and raise awareness among political parties and the broader population about the transformative role women can play in governance, emphasising the importance of their meaningful representation in the upcoming electoral processes,” UN Women said.
It said these efforts were further reinforced through the government-supported departmental consultations, held from December 6-10, 2025, and the National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Electoral Violence, held from December 12- 14, 2025.
UN Women said a key outcome of these collective efforts was the adoption of the Declaration of Haitian Women for Active and Effective Participation, issued during the national conference.
“This declaration reflects Haitian women’s commitment to engage in the political process fully and affirms their right to play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future,” UN Women said.
“It stands as a testament to their unwavering determination to overcome challenges and contribute meaningfully to advancing democracy and gender equality,” it added.
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