EU Observer Mission lauds women participation in Sept 1 polls

…says more transparency still needed in parties’ gender equality approaches
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) has commended Guyana for what it describes as notable progress in women’s political participation during the September 1 General and Regional Elections, while simultaneously urging political parties to adopt clearer and more transparent approaches to gender equality.
The mission released its final report on the 2025 polls on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Pegasus Suites & Corporate Centre in Kingston. The EU-EOM, which deployed 50 observers from all EU member states and Norway, visited more than 250 polling stations across all 10 administrative regions, ranging from dense coastal communities to remote hinterland and Indigenous villages.
Chief Observer Robert Biedroń, in presenting the findings, said the mission observed several positive developments. He noted that some digital media platforms and personal pages provided balanced, non-partisan election information that helped voters make more informed decisions. More significantly, he stated, “Guyana has made notable progress on women’s political participation,” citing special measures that resulted in high levels of female representation among candidates at the national and regional levels, including two women contesting for the presidency: the leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir, and the leader of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), Simona Broomes.
Nevertheless, Biedroń emphasised that there is still space for more women-led leadership.
“Guyana has made notable progress on women’s political participation. Special measures contributed to high levels of women’s representation among candidates at both national and regional levels, including two presidential contenders. Women also played a strong role in GECOM leadership and in across public life. Yet, there is still space for more transparency in party approaches to gender equality. Also, online abuse targeting women politicians and activists shows that stronger safeguards against gender-based online harassment are very much needed,” the Chief Observer explained.
The report further highlighted challenges affecting other vulnerable groups. Indigenous peoples, described as an “important electorate”, continue to face structural obstacles, including long distances to polling stations, limited access to timely election information, and socio-economic dependence on state support. The EU-EOM also received reports that opposition parties experienced more restricted access to some Indigenous villages compared with the ruling party, a finding that the mission said warrants closer scrutiny.
Persons with disabilities were also noted as facing significant barriers, including inadequate physical access to many polling stations and the absence of tactile ballots or other tailored election materials. The mission recommended that Guyana strengthen its legal and logistical framework to ensure equal participation for citizens with disabilities.
Another major issue flagged was the limited participation of national observer groups. While the accreditation process administered by GECOM was described as efficient but independent, citizen observer groups were “notably absent”. The mission has recommended that national observers be granted the same legal rights of access as international missions to improve the oversight environment.
“The accreditation process for observers was efficient, and GECOM accredited 12 domestic observer organisations and five international missions, including, of course, our mission. Yet, national citizen observer groups were notably absent. Most domestic observers came from professional bodies and interest groups. The legal framework could be strengthened by extending to national observers the same legal rights of access as are accorded to international missions,” Biedroń said.
“Women, again, made up the large majority of staff and presiding officers. Party agents from PPPC, APNU, and WIN were present in all polling stations observed by the EU EOM, contributing to transparency. Yet, all observers were present in only a minority of polling stations observed,” he added.
Despite these concerns, the EU-EOM assessed Election Day itself as peaceful, calm, and well-administered. Observers reported that voting and counting procedures were efficiently executed and generally followed correctly by polling staff.
The final report is expected to form the basis of continued dialogue with Guyanese authorities and political stakeholders as efforts move toward strengthening future electoral processes.