PARLIAMENT yesterday demanded gender parity within the civil service after it was disclosed there was a 10 000 variance in the number of males compared to females employed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). VENERANDA LANGA
This was after CSC acting chairman Steven Ngwenya had disclosed before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development that the CSC had 280 210 employees, of which 145 511 were males while 134 699 were females.
Chairperson of the committee Goromonzi West MP Biata Beatrice Nyamupinga (Zanu PF) alleged that some women had written to the committee complaining of discrimination and sexual harassment while looking for jobs in the CSC.
“The committee received complaints of abuse of women in the CSC who say that whenever there is a promotion women are not asked to bring their educational and professional qualifications, but there are ‘other’ qualifications that are demanded from them in order to be promoted,” Nyamupinga said. “Other letters from women are of complaints that they have relevant qualifications, but they do not get employed at high levels in the CSC.”
Ngwenya denied the allegations and said the CSC had done its best to employ qualified women.
He said some women refused to take up senior posts in other cities and towns fearing separation from their families.
“Our advertisements for jobs always require educational and professional qualifications. If there are some people that created other requirements, I am sure those people should be picked up so that we deal with them decisively. We cannot be professionals if we were to deviate from what was laid out,” Ngwenya said.
According to statistics given to Parliament by Ngwenya, 3 313 males benefited from civil service housing schemes as compared to 2 254 females. Out of the 29 secretaries of ministries in the country, 20 were male and nine were female. At senior management level, there were 587 males while females were only 241.
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Kuwadzana MP Lucia Matibenga (MDC-T) said the CSC should ensure government buildings were accessible to people with disabilities.
“One finds that most elevators to government buildings are not working and are not accessible to workers with disabilities,” Matibenga said.
Ngwenya concurred with Matibenga, but said it was not the responsibility of the CSC to repair elevators. He said it was the responsibility of different line ministries.
