On May 20, 2025, as part of the political participation of women in the electoral process, Pedrica Saint Jean, the Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights (MCFDF), aware of the importance of the media as a means of disseminating information and influencing public opinion, met with media executives in the run-up to the general elections.

In her speech, Minister Pedrica Saint Jean stated, "The media have immense power to influence how society perceives women in politics, their legitimacy, their skills, and their right to actively participate in the country's governance." According to the Minister, "The media can build or destroy public figures. They can normalize the political harassment of women or denounce it with rigor; they can reproduce stereotypes or help break them." It is with this in mind that the Minister wishes to establish an active partnership with media owners to ensure that the upcoming elections are inclusive, fair, and representative.

"Therefore, we invite you today to become committed allies in the fight for political equality through fair and gender-neutral media coverage of female candidates; the promotion of women experts, activists, and opinion leaders in your broadcasts and columns; the development of awareness campaigns on women's rights to participate in political decisions; and the training of your journalists and presenters in a gender-sensitive approach to the reporting of political information," adding, "Women are not demanding preferential treatment, but fairer and more equitable treatment."

Along with media executives and women's and feminist organizations, representatives of political parties took part in a meeting organized by the Ministry on May 21, 2025, at the Montana Hotel. The meeting was organized to raise awareness about the importance of women's political participation in the electoral process.

The main objective of this meeting was to encourage political parties to offer women the same opportunities as men, in accordance with the Convention on the Political Rights of Women, which guarantees women's eligibility for public office without discrimination.

In her speech, Minister Saint Jean reiterated that "there can be no democracy without the full participation of women." She urged the parties to adopt a more inclusive approach and to include more women in their structures and electoral lists to ensure fairer representation in the upcoming elections.

HL/ HaitiLibre