MDC women last week took advantage of the International Women’s Day celebrations to lobby for a quota system in Parliament.
Chairperson of the women’s assembly in the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, Thandiwe Mlilo, said women in Zimbabwe could only be empowered if a quota of seats in the House of Assembly are allocated to them.
Mlilo said MDC “believes that fundamental changes can only be achieved through a constitution that recognises and commits to a women’s quota, particularly in the Legislature where laws are made”.
“We therefore demand on this Women’s Day that a quota of the seats in the Lower House be allocated to women. MDC also demands that a system of proportional representation be implemented in the Senate that ensures a 50/50 representation.
As a party, we are concerned that in all these struggles, rural women remain the most adversely affected even during this course of transforming our country towards a just and fair Zimbabwe.”