WalesOnline, United Kingdom
Jan 2 2009

Women have a vital role in ending threat of conflict, says AM
Jan 2 2009 by David Williamson, Western Mail

WALES’ deputy presiding officer Rosemary Butler believes lessons
learned in Wales can help bring stability to one of the world’s most
volatile regions.

The Newport West AM has visited Georgia ` the scene of fierce military
confrontation last summer between the country’s armed forces and
Russian troops.

Relations between neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan remain tense
following the 1988-1994 conflict over the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mrs Butler is convinced that strengthening the role of women in
politics is an important step towards creating governments which are
less confrontational and meet the basic needs of the population.

Representatives from the three countries came together in the Georgian
capital of Tbilisi as part of a British Council effort to build a
network of politically active women across the region.

She described the tactics Welsh parties had used to ensure the
Assembly had one of the world’s highest levels of female
representation.

Describing the impact of women on politics, she said: `You get a much
more consensual government and you find things like social services
really come to the fore.

`I just really believe you have a different style of politics when
women are elected.

`I think in areas like Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, that’s
absolutely essential.’

Mrs Butler believes women are more likely to vote when there are more
female candidates standing.

She said women at the conference were fascinated to learn how the
Assembly’s petition system allowed members of the public to force
politicians to look at an issue.

`They just found that absolutely mind-blowing,’ she said.

`I said it’s hard work for the electorate; they don’t just vote us in
` they have to be consulted on things.’

The conference began with a tense atmosphere.

She said: `The body language on the first day was very formal. We had
the different national groups sitting in their different areas.’

But that evening at a reception in the British embassy, the ice
finally melted away when one of the women began playing the piano and
singing began.

`When they went home, they all piled into the one minibus.

`The next day the conference was totally different,’ she said.

`It was relaxed. They were really interested in what everybody was
saying.’

She hopes that the region will not dissolve into the type of ethnic
warfare which devastated the Balkans in the 1990s. A first step to
improving stability is encouraging the women of the different
countries to talk to one another.

Mrs Butler said: `I think the more people can talk to their neighbours
and the more they can understand each other, the more likely there is
to be peace… It was a real privilege to go and experience how these
women live and share what we have done.’

Arguing that in a civilised society women must be represented in
politics, she said: `Women are not better than men. We are just very
different.’

During the course of the conference, she talked about the achievements
of women who have shaped British society, praising the contributions
of the suffragettes and the anti-nuclear protestors at Greenham
Common.

Newport is twinned with Kutaisi, Georgia’s second city. The
friendships which have formed between people in each community made
the violence of last summer more alarming.

Mrs Butler said: `It’s very worrying when people you know are in a
conflict situation.’

Describing the current tensions between Russian and Georgia ` focused
on Russia’s support for independence for the enclaves of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia ` she said: `I think there is a huge amount of distrust;
that’s the issue. People just don’t trust the Russians.

`Hopefully there will be some sensible compromises and it won’t happen
again.’

The experience of the conference has strengthened her appreciation of
the Assembly.

She said: `It’s not until you go away and talk about it. It’s really
very different from Westminster, even ` it really makes you think
we’re doing well.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress