Women in the General Council of Andorra

On the fifth of September 1973, the Permanent Delegates of the Co-Princes of Andorra, Gregori Creus and Robert Poujol, at the request of the General Council, signed a decree relating to the right of Andorran women to stand for election: “Women who hold full Andorran citizenship can stand for election, on the same conditions and with the same constraints as men.”

The process began when 7 women (one to represent each parish, with Escaldes-Engordany) presented a petition on 30 April 1967, in which they stated that they wanted to start proceedings to achieve full citizenship for Andorran women and for this purpose they asked for permission to collect signatures.

This stage ended with the presentation of the petition on 15 May 1968, accompanied by the signatures of more than 370 Andorran women. The General Council replied to this petition on 4 July 1969:

 “Hearing this, the General Council decrees:

1. By a majority of 10 votes for, 8 against and one abstention, to accept that the right of Andorran women to vote be acknowledged.

2. By a majority of 12 votes for, 6 against and one abstention, to reject the petition referring to the right to stand for election.

3. Unanimously, to send the file to their Excellencies the Permanent Delegates with the reports from the Hon. Local Corporations and that of the Hon. General Council.”

The decree from the Permanent Delegations arrived on 14 April 1970.

On 17 May 1973, Councillors Jaume Bartumeu Canturri, from Andorra, and Óscar Ribas Reig, from Sant Julià de Lòria, presented a motion at the General Council requesting approval for “granting passive electoral rights (the right to stand for election) to Andorran women, and full electoral rights to all generations born and resident in Andorra”.

The matter was the subject of a debate in an ordinary session on 24 May 1973, in which it was agreed to grant passive electoral rights (the right to stand for election) to all Andorran women with full citizenship. The decree from the Permanent Delegations arrived four months later, ending discrimination against women in relation to their electoral rights.