Stakeholders have bemoaned the low representation of women in politics calling on the authorities to align laws and electoral systems to the Constitution to ensure fair representation in leadership positions.
Speaking during a multi-party gender conference on women’s political participation, Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) chairperson Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe said there was low representation of women in politics.
“It is worrying to note that statistics from the 2018 harmonized elections reveal regressing low women representation with 48% in Senate, 31.5% in the National Assembly (85 women, 60 of them being under the quota making it effectively 11.9% against 185 male MPs) and a mere 13.3% in Local government.
“The 26 March 2022 by-election results further reinforce the position that men are the main actors in electoral processes. Out of the 28 parliamentary seats contested only five women won while at local government level, only 19 females were elected as councilors against 103 elected male counterparts,” Mukahanana-Sangarwe said.
Zanu PF deputy secretary for legal affairs Fortune Chasi admitted that not enough has been done to recognise the role of women during the liberation struggle.
“After Independence we have not done enough to acknowledge women’s role during the liberation struggle. We have also realised that attendances at rallies it’s mainly women. And the irony is that when it comes to occupation of critical positions, it’s mainly men. So that is clearly unjust.
“I also want to say this as a party, if the doors are being closed, the women must force them open. Women play a critical role in families. The issue on gender equality should not be for women alone, must be in a position to give way to women knowing that there are superior but do not occupy positions. This applies in government positions and cooperate environment.” Chasi said
Minister of Women Affairs, Sithembiso Nyoni also said that women are not being recognised in some part of the sectors.
“The efforts that women in the past have made, most of them have not been recognised but I think we are getting somewhere. Let’s not be discouraged, we are on the move. Looking at ministers of the state, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made sure that there is 50/50 participation between men and women. Even at state owned teachers’ colleges, there are 57%, we are more than 50/50 women in the leadership. Other parastatals we are also 50/50. We are not doing very badly, so let’s keep pushing,” Nyoni said.
Women and girls across the country presented a charter on women’s political participation and decision making to political parties in the country calling for among other issues peaceful participation, accountability and ending impunity during electoral processes.
