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Gender activists slam Zimbabwe’s Judicial Services Commission

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GENDER activists have slammed President Robert Mugabe for appointing a male-dominated Judicial Services Commission (JSC)

GENDER activists have slammed President Robert Mugabe for appointing a male-dominated Judicial Services Commission (JSC) despite an explicit constitutional requirement that all commissions should be gender-balanced in the composition.

By Paidamoyo Muzulu Senior Reporter Mugabe on Monday appointed eight of the 12 JSC commissioners and only two are women in breach of the Constitution.

The JSC’s main role is advising government on the judiciary or administration of justice and is consulted by the President on the appointment of judges. The two women are Priscilla Mutendwa and Priscilla Madzonga.

On the other hand, the six men are Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Judge President George Chiweshe, Justice Happious Zhou, Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe, Law Society of Zimbabwe president Lloyd Mhishi and Bulawayo-based senior lawyer Josphat Tshuma.

The activists said the government only spoke of gender equality for political correctness, but had no desire to translate that into tangible action.

Women Coalition chairperson Virginia Muwanigwa said Mugabe’s decision was “regrettable”.

“We are very unhappy about this development and unfortunately every major decision this government makes women are not considered,” Muwanigwa said.

She added the women were “concerned that the trend by this government is becoming well established starting with the appointment of a gender-insensitive Cabinet after the July 31, 2013 general elections”.

Another activist, Edinah Masanga, concurred saying the gender talk by the government was cosmetic.

“As a country we have beautiful policy papers on gender, laws and a new constitution which unfortunately are just there as mere window dressers and not implemented,” Masanga said.

She added the gender imbalance reflected in the “gender-insensitive decisions” the government makes.

“If we continue having male-dominated key and strategic institutions that affect women the most we will not have realistic solutions in the majority of cases,” she said. The activists say it is high time the government moved from gender theory to action and start walking the talk.