BY LORRAINE MUROMO WOMEN’s groups are re-grouping to re-strategise ahead of the 2023 polls to ensure that more females get seats in parliamentary and local government elections.
Speaking at the launch of the Women’s Election Strategy hosted by the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) last week, #Whispers director Sibonokuhle Buhlungu said: “This calls for a strong women’s movement to mobilise and support women’s full participation in national development processes as provided for by the Constitution of Zimbabwe, and regional and international instruments promoting women’s rights that Zimbabwe is part to.”
Buhlungu, who is also WCoZ vice-chairperson for the politics and decision-making cluster, said women’s strategies to win next year’s elections should leverage on the fact that they constitute more than half of Zimbabwe’s population.
“To keep the 50/50 campaign alive, it becomes critical to advocate for the creation and sustaining of an enabling environment that fosters women’s participation and representation in key electoral processes,” Buhlungu said, adding that the patriarchal nature of Zimbabwean society had affected women’s full participation in politics.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs chairperson Chido Madiwa said female legislators were pushing for the crafting of the Gender Equality Bill to ensure equal representation of women in politics and other spheres.
“The principles of the Bill have been drafted and submitted to the Women Affairs ministry and in our oversight role as MPs we will ensure this is worked on,” Madiwa said.
Zimbabwe Peace Project director Jestina Mukoko said: “The greatest enemy against the full participation of women, especially young women, is political violence.”
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