News / National
Zanu-PF, MDC-T refuses to commit to gender equality
22 Apr 2018 at 12:43hrs | Views
Proportional Representation legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga says the country's leading political parties Zanu-PF and MDC-T have refused to commit to gender equality and 50-50 representation, OpenParly reported.
Women in Zimbabwe are demanding 50-50 representation in the coming election and also that government fully implement the SADC Gender Protocol.
Speaking during an Electoral Amendment Bill Conference organised by the Election Resource Centre (ERC) recently, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said since political parties are unwilling it was better to force them through the law.
"The law must empower ZEC to reject any party's list of candidates that do not indicate that half of the 210 Parliamentary posts are women.
"ZEC must reject the lists as a way of forcing parties to put 50 percent representation of candidates. We had a women's conference a month ago and there were 21 parties and only 14 of them signed to the Aspirational Charter on Gender Equality, but sadly both Zanu-PF and MDC did not sign to say we will at least work to ensure we achieve gender equality.
"So we need to put it in our laws because the level of anti-women is growing in political parties," she said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Serima said while 50-50 representation was good, but there was a danger of disenfranchising males in trying to reserve seats for women.
Women in Zimbabwe are demanding 50-50 representation in the coming election and also that government fully implement the SADC Gender Protocol.
Speaking during an Electoral Amendment Bill Conference organised by the Election Resource Centre (ERC) recently, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said since political parties are unwilling it was better to force them through the law.
"ZEC must reject the lists as a way of forcing parties to put 50 percent representation of candidates. We had a women's conference a month ago and there were 21 parties and only 14 of them signed to the Aspirational Charter on Gender Equality, but sadly both Zanu-PF and MDC did not sign to say we will at least work to ensure we achieve gender equality.
"So we need to put it in our laws because the level of anti-women is growing in political parties," she said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Serima said while 50-50 representation was good, but there was a danger of disenfranchising males in trying to reserve seats for women.
Source - openparly
