Since taking over from Mugabe with the assistance of the
military in November last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has faced
criticism for doing very little to achieve gender parity in the top echelons of
his government.
His ruling Zanu PF party’s constitution specifically
provides for a 50-50 percent representation of men and women at all levels.
Regardless, it is the men who still run the show in both Zanu PF and
government.
In the wake of concerns over the party’s failure to include
a woman in the presidium following the appointment of Constantino Chiwenga and
Kembo Mohadi as Mnangagwa’s deputies on Thursday, Zanu PF national chairperson
Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri revealed that none of
the women in the ruling party stood up to the plate to be considered in
the presidium.
This was despite ringing calls at the ruling party’s
previous annual conferences for it to observe the quota system.
“If you have checked our Constitution, that is our guiding
document, it accommodates the quota system. It’s very gender sensitive, it
talks about equality, a woman can be president and can push to be vice
president, if people feel she is fit for that appointment. Our constitution
recognises equality which is supported by the Constitution of the country,
which also talks about equality.
“The equality clause is what is critical. So we haven’t had
a woman who was interested to stand as a president or vice president but once
we have such a person, the party can accommodate such a person,” said
Muchinguri-Kashiri.
The quota system was once used against Mnangagwa in 2004
when Mugabe used machiavellian tactics to elevate Joice Mujuru, who was way his
junior, to the position of vice president even though the former secretary for
legal affairs had the majority of the political provinces behind him.
The position had been left vacant following the death of
Simon Muzenda in September 2003.
In terms of the party’s old constitution, it declared that
four members of the party’s central committee were supposed to be a president
and first secretary, two vice presidents and second secretaries — “one of whom
shall be a woman” — and a national chairperson.
The women’s quota system was abolished in 2014, following
the sacking of Mujuru, who has been the only woman to be accommodated in the
presidium since the country got independence in 1980.
The provision was only re-introduced a year later at the
party’s annual conference in Victoria Falls, as one of the party’s resolutions.
Former Zanu PF member Margaret Dongo told the Daily News on
Sunday that there is need for a change in the Zimbabwean political system and
adherence to the Constitution, which allows equal representation of both men
and women.
“That is a women’s problem. They have failed to use their
voices they have a right to remind the president of the constitutional
requirement. This also shows that the issue of gender equality holds no water
in the Zimbabwean political system, women have been suppressed and not given a
chance to stand and challenge the constitution.
“As a result women also have failed to gather confidence
and stand up to challenge this system as well. Not forgetting the other women
rights-based NGOs and gender commissions which are failing to challenge the
government which is not acting according to the Constitution Section 17 which
speaks on gender equality,” Dongo said.
She said there was need for the country to do away with the
traditional, religious and patriarchal systems that do not promote women’s
elevation.
Dongo also said gender equality will only hold water when a
woman is recognised by other women and the society, as an independent person,
with principles and values.
“I feel as Zimbabweans we still have to learn, understand
and appreciate that women can also lead and even make better decisions. I want
to suggest that in future elections, presidents should run for office with
their vice presidents, meaning that the vice presidents should go through the
elections as well, and not to leave it to the elected presidents who are mostly
men to appoint the vice presidents.
“Women are in majority but minority in decision making
positions. The only way to address this discrepancy is to have a vice president
elected by the citizens, according to her efforts just like the president is
elected,” she said.
Since 2015, the party’s women league has been demanding
that the Zanu PF Constitution be aligned to the national governance charter
which says there must be 50-50 representation in all positions.
The move was reportedly aimed at pushing for Mugabe’s wife
Grace to take over from Mnangagwa, who was then the party’s vice president.
This move was reportedly being pushed by a party faction
known as Generation 40, which was fighting hard to extinguish Mnangagwa’s
chances of taking over the reins of power from Mugabe.
However, after Mugabe’s resignation last November,
following the army intervention, the calls for a woman in the presidium have
seemingly died down.
Women in Zimbabwe continue to face a number of challenges in
their quest to be at par with their male counterparts. Some of the issues
impeding this development include the country’s cultural and religious values
and the patriarchal tendencies within the society.
In May this year, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission bemoaned
the marginalisation of women in key political and developmental issues,
claiming during Zanu PF primary elections only 11 percent of the total
aspirants were female.
“…while the Constitution provides a set of commitments to
ensure women’s active and equal participation in electoral processes, women
continue to be marginalised in politics. This is also despite the country
having adopted an engendered Constitution and ratified several international
and regional frameworks which promote the equal participation of women in
political and decision–making processes such as the Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Protocol on the Rights of Women in
Africa and the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development,” Zimbabwe Gender
Commission chairperson Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, said then.
According to the country’s Constitution, 60 national
assembly seats are reserved for women, 60 senatorial and 10 persons on each
provincial council, who would be elected on the basis of proportional
representation.
Of the 60 seats reserved for women and 60 senatorial seats,
six will come from each of the country’s 10 provinces.
In a statement, the Women in Politics Support Unit, said Mnangagwa
must demonstrate commitment to gender parity as enshrined in the Constitution,
by even appointing a 50-50 percent Cabinet and prioritise the rights of women.
“We welcome the commitment to constitutionalism that the
president made at his inauguration, and accordingly draw his attention to
Section 56 (2) of the Constitution which provides that ‘women and men have the
right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in
political, economic, cultural and social spheres’. Therefore, we strongly urge
the president to stand guided by the principle of equality and
non-discrimination.
“Whilst we are encouraged by the president’s declarations
to ensure the advancement of women through strengthening their capacity in the
economy; we urge him to ensure a prioritisation and promotion of the rights of
women in the president’s 2030 Agenda, in particular, ensuring a governance
system which is responsive to women and women’s rights. This key element must
be central in building the path of equality and inclusiveness, which is badly
needed for the president’s successful administration of Zimbabwe,” the
organisation said. Daily News
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