Women’s organizations on Friday expressed disappointment at the failure by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) to attend a dialogue meeting organised to deliberate on the challenges faced by women to register as voters ahead of the 2018 elections.
Linda Masarira, aspiring Member of Parliament for Harare Central said, “We were expecting ZEC to be here because women are facing a lot of challenges when they are registering,
“We wanted them to be present so they could answer all the questions we had for them,
“It is rather unfortunate that the Media Commission also did not pitch up, this shows that both these commissions are not committed to delivering to the people of Zimbabwe, they should shape up or ship out,” she echoed.
Women constitute 52% of the population and are facing quite a number of challenges during voter registration hence the decision to invite the electoral body, ZEC.
National Coordinator of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, Sally Ncube said the meeting was organised to ensure that the upcoming elections are non-discriminatory, transparent and inclusive to all women.
“We held this dialogue to ensure that the upcoming elections are non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive and respect the provisions of the constitution of gender balance,
“ZEC needs to ensure that information on voter registration is clear and should make sure the illiterate and disabled are considered in this process,
“Other challenges include physical and financial access to the centers, women is prisons, adequate information on the actual process and women in remote areas.” Said Ncube
Zimbabwe Women’s Lawyers Association, Director, Abigail Matsvayi castigated ZEC for the limited operating times for voter registration saying they should open during weekends.
“It seems like these centers have a target of people they want to register a day and once that is done they close,
“Their working hours should be extended and should also be open during the weekends,
“In addition people should not go these centers but the centers should come to the people for example in churches,” said Matsvayi.
