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Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Guinea's return to constitutional order is an opportunity to strengthen women's political participation
The exclusion of women causes them to perceive politics as a field reserved for men, even though they played a significant role in Guinea's contemporary history. Current efforts to restore constitutional order must also promote their effective inclusion in public affairs. Four years after the coup against the Alpha Condé regime, Guinea's constitutional referendum scheduled for 21 September 2025 will be a major step towards normalising political life in the country. The referendum is a prerequisite for organising and conducting presidential, legislative and local elections. Adopting a new constitution will be crucial for stability after the coup, and for building an egalitarian and inclusive society, particularly by strengthening women's participation in public affairs. Although women represent 52% of Guinea's population, their presence in state decision-making bodies, whether executive or legislative, has remained marginal under both civilian and military regimes. This suggests that political transitions – often justified by the promise of inclusive reforms – tend to reproduce the same dynamics of exclusion as the previous administration. At the same time, the legal mechanisms that should promote the inclusion of women remain more symbolic than truly binding. On the plus side, Guinea's transition charter provides for a 30% minimum representation of women in the National Transitional Council (NTC), which functions as the country's temporary parliament. As a result, women now comprise 30.86% of members of this legislative body, compared with only 14.9% of parliamentarians before the coup. However, despite its commitments, the government of Prime Minister Amadou Bah Oury includes only six women among its 29 ministers – 10% less than before the coup. This decline has caused disappointment, especially among women's organisations hoping to consolidate the gains achieved through years of hard struggle. The underrepresentation of women illustrates successive governments' failure to turn legal frameworks into real progress. In particular, the quota of 30% women on electoral registers introduced in 2010 has never been met, as its application has been left to the discretion of political actors. Furthermore, the 2019 law establishing gender parity in electoral lists and public institutions was never enacted. The coexistence of this law and a 30% quota, perceived as contradictory, could have caused a deadlock. The limited impact of these ambitious initiatives can be explained by the lack of political will, shortcomings in their application, deep-rooted patriarchal traditions and women's low literacy rate (22%), according to Afrobarometer. Yet most Guineans believe women should be able to access political office on the same basis as men, Afrobarometer says. This is despite persistent obstacles that they face, such as criticism and harassment, sometimes even within their own families. The underrepresentation of women in public affairs is due to social and cultural considerations underpinning patriarchal and unequal systems. Women are excluded, causing them to perceive politics as a field reserved for men, even though they played a significant role in Guinea's contemporary history. Although civil society has a role in demanding structural change favouring women's equitable participation, the current restrictions on fundamental freedoms and civic space hamper their involvement in political life. Institute for Security Studies fieldwork respondents said military regimes were a greater obstacle than gender bias, as the latter was easier to break down than institutional barriers. Despite these difficulties, the return to constitutional order – starting with the referendum and continuing with election preparations – offers the opportunity to pass laws and mobilise against the marginalisation of women in the public sphere. The 2022 inter-Guinean dialogue, led exclusively by women, showed that they can make concrete proposals to improve their participation. Several dialogue recommendations were integrated into the new draft constitution and proposed institutional laws. The NTC adopted the draft constitution on 9 April following an outreach campaign. The draft establishes gender parity as a fundamental principle – an improvement on the transition charter. When various laws are adopted, particularly those dealing with the electoral code, gender parity and political parties, details should be provided on how the legislation will be implemented. A good starting point is to develop electoral lists that alternate between male and female candidates and allocate the remaining seats to women with the highest averages, as considered by the NTC. The same goes for allowing independent candidates in all elections, offering an alternative to women who find it difficult to be backed by a political party. These reforms, which civil society supports, could be supplemented by a women's rights observatory, composed of women's organisations. The observatory would be responsible for monitoring the progress of draft laws from submission to adoption, in order to guarantee their effective implementation. While these initiatives can strengthen women's participation in public life, they must be accompanied by greater political will from current and future transitional authorities and strong institutional support. Sufficient human, financial and operational resources are also needed to rigorously implement laws and policies. As part of Independence Day celebrated in October 2024, Guinea's head of state, General Mamady Doumbouya, visited pioneers such as former government ministers Aïcha Bah Diallo, Mariama Sow and Mariama Aribot. At the same time, several streets in Conakry were renamed after prominent female figures in Guinea's contemporary history, including M'Balia Camara, Mafory Bangoura, Rabiatou Saran Diallo and Saran Daraba Kaba. These symbolic actions recall Guinean women's commitment and role in the country's history. Addressing their marginalisation in the public sphere requires more than focusing on the number of women in political positions. The quality of their participation in nation-building must also be improved. Otherwise, Guinea's transition risks replicating, or even exacerbating, the structural inequalities that keep women on the margins of political life and development. DM
Business Recorder
18 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Anti-circumvention probe concluded: NTC acts to protect domestic steel industry
KARACHI: In a key development for Pakistan's trade enforcement, the National Tariff Commission (NTC) has concluded the country's first anti-circumvention investigation, extending anti-dumping duties to imports of a slightly modified product that was circumventing duties previously imposed on galvanized steel products. This action addresses a growing threat to Pakistan's domestic flat steel sector. Although anti-dumping duties had been imposed on galvanized steel coils and sheets, importers began bringing in a slightly modified product (Galvalume), undermining the impact of existing duties and affecting local manufacturers who had invested in production and relied on fair competition. The domestic industry faced financial losses as the benefits of anti-dumping duties were being offset by circumvention. The influx of the modified product, lacking economic justification and aimed solely at evading duties, disrupted market conditions and discouraged investment in local steel production. NTC generates Rs40 billion through anti-dumping duties in 25 years The NTC's investigation marks a significant step and aligns Pakistan with global trade enforcement practices. By identifying and addressing circumvention - a concept well-established in international trade - the Commission has reinforced Pakistan's commitment to fair trade. Anti-circumvention measures, allowed under the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement, are vital to ensure that duties meant to counter unfair trade are not bypassed through technicalities. While many WTO members have conducted such investigations, this marks Pakistan's first successful use of these provisions. 'The extension of duties sends a strong signal that Pakistan will not allow its trade remedies to be undermined,' said an industry representative. 'It restores fair competition and supports production, employment, and revenue generation.' This case sets an important precedent for future anti-circumvention actions in other sectors. It also strengthens investor confidence in Pakistan's regulatory framework. With this action, the NTC has protected domestic interests and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to rules-based trade. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Emma Raducanu sails through ‘awkward' battle of Britain in Wimbledon opener
It is four years since Raducanu launched her rocket to stardom by reaching the last 16 of Wimbledon as an 18-year-old. Xu is only 17, and she will surely have many more chances to write her own success story at SW19, but she was unable to really test the British number one's nerve, with Raducanu easing to a 6-3 6-3 victory. 🔛🔝 Emma Raducanu completes a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 victory against Mimi Xu to move into the second round of #Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025 Raducanu and Xu are friendly having hit together at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November, while Raducanu practises her Mandarin by speaking to Xu's mother. Shared heritage or not, this was a contest Raducanu wanted to stamp her authority on quickly, and she was particularly vocal, her shouts of 'Come on' punctuating the contest. 'When the draw came out, I can't say I was loving it,' said Raducanu with a smile in her on-court interview. In the press room later she added: 'First rounds are never easy. It was an interesting dynamic today, so I'm really pleased to have got through that. 'It's really awkward playing a Brit, especially someone younger. She's a great player with big weapons. Congrats for her to get the wild card opportunity. I'm sure she's going to do great things in the future. I think that I just really wanted to win that match.' It has not been an easy build-up for the 22-year-old, who has been dealing with some bad personal news as well as a niggling back problem. She smiled and waved as she entered Court One to cheers, though, while Xu had her ears covered by large headphones. The Swansea schoolgirl made a nervous start and Raducanu immediately broke serve but holding a long third game settled Xu down and she began to show why she is considered such a good prospect. Xu sent down serves close to 120mph and troubled Raducanu on occasion with her powerful ground strokes but a missed second serve return at 4-3 30-30 showed her inexperience, and the first set disappeared in a slew of errors. While Xu left the court to change, Raducanu showed she is not above a bit of mid-match litter picking, collecting a champagne cork that had flown from the stands on to the court with a chuckle and putting it in a bin. 'It was a first,' said Raducanu. 'Pretty entertaining. I'm glad they were having a good time. It loosened me up a bit at the end of the first set. I can't not laugh at that.' Xu's best moments came early in the second set when she twice broke the Raducanu serve, earning her reward for staying on the front foot and going for the lines. She could not hold her own delivery, though, and Raducanu clinched her first match point after an hour and 25 minutes to maintain her record of never having lost in the first round. Xu relished the experience, saying: 'It's such an honour to play against her on my debut. She's such a hard worker because I train with her at the NTC (National Tennis Centre). 'Honestly, I don't think I would have wanted it any different. I've learned so much from this match, from playing her, how she deals with these moments and what the differences were there against a top player. I think I can do a lot of things in my game to improve it further.' Raducanu's path gets significantly tougher from here with in-form former champion Marketa Vondrousova up next on Wednesday.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Duty on Galvalume steel imposed
Despite minor compositional change, the NTC found during investigation that Galvalume products contained the same essential physical and chemical characteristics as the galvanised products, which were subject to anti-dumping duties. PHOTO: FILE The National Tariff Commission (NTC) has levied a 40.47% anti-dumping duty on Galvalume steel, a landmark decision to protect the domestic steel industry. The steel industry has suffered a lot due to this issue by losing market share and the recent decision will help the industry to revive it again. The commission has affirmed in its decision that the product was being used to undermine the original anti-dumping measures. This is not only a significant outcome for the steel industry but also a landmark development in Pakistan's trade remedy jurisprudence. Stakeholders have hailed the decision as a watershed moment in trade remedy, aimed at safeguarding the local steel industry from unfair trade practices. It has also reaffirmed the country's commitment to upholding protective measures that were being undermined through technical evasion by exporters. A legal firm representing the domestic producers also said that it was a landmark achievement for the legal framework, which governs trade remedies in Pakistan. "This is not only a significant outcome for the steel industry but also a landmark development in Pakistan's trade remedy jurisprudence. We take great pride in the fact that this is the first anti-circumvention case in Pakistan's history – filed and successfully pursued by our firm," Sumaira Kanwal, Senior Manager, said. The NTC has concluded Pakistan's first-ever anti-circumvention investigation for trade remedy enforcement. This matter also involved circumvention of anti-dumping duties on galvanised steel through imports of Galvalume – a product that was slightly modified. Circumvention refers to the exporters or importers who attempt to avoid anti-dumping or countervailing duties by making minor modifications to a product. They route it through third countries or slightly change its composition to retain its essential commercial purpose. The domestic industry (International Steels and Aisha Steel Mills) had challenged it in the NTC through legal firms. In 2017, Pakistan imposed anti-dumping duties on galvanised steel coils and sheets imported from China by imposing tariffs ranging from 6.09% to 40.47%. Pakistan extended these duties in 2022 after a sunset review. The authorities concerned noted continued dumping and injury to the domestic industry during a review. However, foreign exporters were allegedly involved in circumventing these duties through making slight modifications in the product. They coated steel coils with a combination of zinc and aluminium (commonly known as Galvalume), instead of pure zinc. Galvalume has the same function as galvanised steel and is in direct competition with it in the domestic market, but it was not originally covered under the anti-dumping regime. International Steels and Aisha Steel Mills had recognised this threat to the effectiveness of trade remedies and submitted a formal application. Consequently, the NTC started an anti-circumvention investigation. During the probe, the NTC targeted imports of hot-dip zinc-aluminium coated steel coils/sheets (Galvalume). It focused on thicknesses ranging from 0.15 mm to 2.75 mm and a width of 600 mm or more. These products were classified under Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) codes 7210.6110, 7210.6190, 7210.6910 and 7210.6990. Despite the minor compositional change, the NTC found during the investigation that Galvalume products contained the same essential physical and chemical characteristics, end uses and production methods as the galvanised products, which were previously subject to anti-dumping duties. The commission further concluded that the exporters were allegedly involved in circumventing the existing anti-dumping measures. It finally reached the findings that the domestic steel industry continued to suffer injury in terms of lost market share, suppressed prices and reduced profitability. Accordingly, the NTC decided to extend the original anti-dumping duty of 40.47% to Galvalume imports to close the loophole that had allowed the evasion of trade remedies. The local industry welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for rule-based trade and industrial policy. "This case not only defends the local steel sector from injury due to unfair imports but also strengthens Pakistan's standing as a country which is serious about enforcing trade laws," industry officials said, adding that it also reflects the maturity of legal institutions to deal with complex issues like circumvention. "The imposition of anti-dumping duties is expected to restrict the influx of concessionary imports, thereby providing relief to International Steels and Aisha Steel, the two key flat steel manufacturers, by supporting their volumetric sales," said Muhammad Awais Ashraf, Director Research at AKD Securities. However, he added that the influx of imported steel – previously attributed by local producers to concessionary imports and circumvention of anti-dumping measures – has adversely impacted their sales volume. Therefore, strict implementation of this duty is important to protect the local industry.
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Emma Raducanu sails through ‘awkward' battle of Britain in Wimbledon opener
It is four years since Raducanu launched her rocket to stardom by reaching the last 16 of Wimbledon as an 18-year-old. Xu is only 17, and she will surely have many more chances to write her own success story at SW19, but she was unable to really test the British number one's nerve, with Raducanu easing to a 6-3 6-3 victory. 🔛🔝 Emma Raducanu completes a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 victory against Mimi Xu to move into the second round of #Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025 Raducanu and Xu are friendly having hit together at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November, while Raducanu practises her Mandarin by speaking to Xu's mother. Shared heritage or not, this was a contest Raducanu wanted to stamp her authority on quickly, and she was particularly vocal, her shouts of 'Come on' punctuating the contest. 'When the draw came out, I can't say I was loving it,' said Raducanu with a smile in her on-court interview. In the press room later she added: 'First rounds are never easy. It was an interesting dynamic today, so I'm really pleased to have got through that. 'It's really awkward playing a Brit, especially someone younger. She's a great player with big weapons. Congrats for her to get the wild card opportunity. I'm sure she's going to do great things in the future. I think that I just really wanted to win that match.' It has not been an easy build-up for the 22-year-old, who has been dealing with some bad personal news as well as a niggling back problem. She smiled and waved as she entered Court One to cheers, though, while Xu had her ears covered by large headphones. The Swansea schoolgirl made a nervous start and Raducanu immediately broke serve but holding a long third game settled Xu down and she began to show why she is considered such a good prospect. Xu sent down serves close to 120mph and troubled Raducanu on occasion with her powerful ground strokes but a missed second serve return at 4-3 30-30 showed her inexperience, and the first set disappeared in a slew of errors. While Xu left the court to change, Raducanu showed she is not above a bit of mid-match litter picking, collecting a champagne cork that had flown from the stands on to the court with a chuckle and putting it in a bin. 'It was a first,' said Raducanu. 'Pretty entertaining. I'm glad they were having a good time. It loosened me up a bit at the end of the first set. I can't not laugh at that.' Xu's best moments came early in the second set when she twice broke the Raducanu serve, earning her reward for staying on the front foot and going for the lines. She could not hold her own delivery, though, and Raducanu clinched her first match point after an hour and 25 minutes to maintain her record of never having lost in the first round. Xu relished the experience, saying: 'It's such an honour to play against her on my debut. She's such a hard worker because I train with her at the NTC (National Tennis Centre). 'Honestly, I don't think I would have wanted it any different. I've learned so much from this match, from playing her, how she deals with these moments and what the differences were there against a top player. I think I can do a lot of things in my game to improve it further.' Raducanu's path gets significantly tougher from here with in-form former champion Marketa Vondrousova up next on Wednesday.
