Haiti moves closer to 2026 elections with push for women’s equal representation

Haiti’s long-running transitional process is moving closer to elections planned for 2026, following the announcement of a new electoral calendar and renewed efforts to strengthen women’s participation in the democratic process.

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The transition, which has been underway since July 2021, comes amid growing recognition that women’s full and effective involvement is essential to ensuring credible, inclusive elections and advancing gender equality in governance. Despite some progress, women remain underrepresented across key state institutions.

Currently, women hold 22.22 percent of government positions, below the constitutionally mandated minimum quota of 30 percent. Representation is even lower within the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), where women account for 11.11 percent of members and do not hold voting rights. At the electoral administration level, women make up 27 percent of staff in departmental and communal electoral offices, while the Truth, Justice and Reparation Commission records stronger representation at 42.85 percent female membership.

In response to these gaps, Haitian women—working through the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights and with the support of UN Women—have been actively engaged in the constitutional review process. Their advocacy has focused on safeguarding the constitution’s 30 percent minimum quota for women’s representation in elected and appointed bodies.

Although the constitutional review process was later suspended by transitional authorities, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) incorporated key gender-focused measures into the draft electoral decree. These include provisions to reject any electoral list with fewer than 30 percent women candidates and the creation of an additional fund to reward political parties that present candidate slates with more than 50 percent women.

Building on these policy advances, the CEP and UN Women jointly launched a national mobilization campaign in Port-au-Prince on November 12 and 13, 2025. The campaign brought together about 150 participants from all ten of Haiti’s departments, including 63 women from outside the capital. The initiative aimed to encourage women’s effective political participation while raising awareness among political parties and the wider public about the transformative role women can play in governance.

These efforts were reinforced through government-supported departmental consultations held from December 6 to 10, followed by the National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Electoral Violence from December 12 to 14. The forums provided space for dialogue and the development of targeted strategies to address barriers to women’s political engagement.

A major outcome of the conference was the adoption of the Declaration of Haitian Women for Active and Effective Participation. The declaration affirms Haitian women’s commitment to full engagement in the political process and underscores their right to play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future. Organizers described the declaration as a clear signal of women’s determination to overcome longstanding challenges and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of democracy and gender equality as Haiti prepares for its next electoral cycle.