Page 35 economic, social and cultural participation in building society and developing the country. This should come through the democratic practice by all citizens without exception whereby the Sahrawi women could massively participate in all electoral processes (Municipal, local and legislative). 98. The status of women has witnessed a quantum leap through their participation in all sectors of public life and they have registered the following: Elective Councils The National Assembly (Parliament): 99. The Sahrawi women‟s participation in the legislative elections (Parliamentary) has significantly increased compared to the 2003 legislative elections in terms of female candidates for seats in Parliament or rate of participation in the polling process. 100. 18 women managed to win seats in the Sahrawi National Assembly of 53 seats representing 33%, a 20% increase in their number in the previous Parliament. Local Councils (Municipalities) 101. The great efforts and effective measures of the Sahrawi Government represented by its national programme for the promotion of the general performance of the State facilities and adoption of a national plan for sensitization on the importance of the role of women in running the State apparatus, have produced positive results as evidenced by their level of success in the 2007 Municipal elections in which they got 90% and the chairmanship of most of the 110 Municipal Councils.