Civil society umbrella group the Committee to Promote Women in Politics yesterday called on political parties to use upcoming amendments to the constitution and election laws as an opportunity to increase women’s political participation.

The group’s key recommendation is a rule forcing parties’ ordered candidate lists to alternate between male and female candidates, a move that would prevent female candidates from being shunted into lower-priority list positions that have little chance of seeing them elected.

“We demand legal action,” said CPWP head Thida Khus.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said his party encouraged greater participation of women in principle. CPP lawmaker Chheang Vun declined to comment.

Only 20 per cent of lawmakers elected in 2013 were female, meaning the government will fail to meet its goal of 30 per cent female representation by 2015, said Koul Panha, executive director of Comfrel.