The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Feminist Party Launched
for 2006 Election
By Rebecca Kimitch
Tico Times Staff
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

With a fundamental goal of increasing gender equality in Costa Rica , a diverse group of women has launched a new feminist party that may contend in next year's election.

Although they are in the early stages of development, members of the New Feminist League Party hope in the next year to assemble enough support from women and men in the province of San José to elect at least one feminist legislator in the February 2006 election.

An initial meeting Friday night drew more than 50 women in all stages of life and from diverse backgrounds – university students, Costa Rican Electricity Institute employees, directors from the National Women's Institute (INAMU) and representatives of a variety of women's rights organizations.

“At the root of the party is the need to have our own voice” instead of “using borrowed microphones,” said Ana Felicia Torres, president of the party's board of directors.

Lack of feminine participation characterizes the current parties, she continued. Despite various female legislators, participation is “insufficient,” she said.

Backed by the colors green, violet and yellow, party members still face the task of acquiring the requisite 9,000 signatures needed to officially register with the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE).

They have begun the formation process with the TSE and written the party's constitution. The party is currently constituted on the provincial level, rather than national, in the province of San José , meaning the possible election of legislators and mayors, but not a President.

“We want to start making changes from the bottom to the top,” Torres said.

Beyond a party constitution, little about the party has been determined, including candidates.

In general terms, the party is fighting for Costa Rica 's sovereignty, human rights, culture and environment. A specific platform must still be constructed, explained leader Rosmary Madden.

According to party literature, the party hopes to bring to the country's political and economic agendas discussion of the condition of women, a topic which members say has been limited to the social agenda.

Particularly, the party is concerned with what leaders call unequal positions of power between gender and the threat of “neoliberal globalization.”

During Friday's meeting, audience members raised questions about what is fundamentally meant by feminism, to which leader Ana Rosa Ruíz responded, “this will be one of the biggest challenges, to determine how to put into practice the concept of feminism.”

Members said they hope that not only feminists identify with the party, but all women, and men as well.

New parties have been popping up everywhere of late, as Costa Rica 's two long-time political strongholds – the Social Christian Unity Party and the National Liberation Party – have seen better days, with major leaders accused of corruption and some serving preventive prison sentences.

Political analysts say the apparent demise of Unity and Liberation is not a short-term trend, but rather a political shift in the country's politics, away from a two-party system.

Leaders of the new feminist party are quick to emphasize they are not capitalizing on any corruption scandals, and that the New Feminist League Party is more than two years coming.

“This isn't just because of the problems we Costa Ricans have seen lately in politics,” Torres said. “More than two years ago a diverse group of women began to discuss the formation of a feminist party.”

Leaders also said the party draws its roots, inspiration and name from the Feminist League which fought for women's rights and citizenship status in Costa Rica in the 1920s.

In the party's flag, green represents social equilibrium and aspiration; violet represents deepness of thought, knowledge and “the idealism that unites us all;” and gold represents the ultimate desire for success.