20-member committee on women’s issues set up

as part of efforts to have women’s issues included in the supreme document.
At a workshop held yesterday, women legislators and gender civic society groups resolved to engage political leaders of the three political parties to implore them to implement the 50-50 representation in decision making process ahead of the next elections. The women noted that the fight to advance women issues, particularly, the 50 – 50 representation, would not be easy hence the need to come up with robust mechanisms.
In a free and frank interaction yesterday, women legislators from the political divide were unanimous that it was time that political parties ceased to pay lip service to affirmative action in line with the Sadc Protocol on Gender. The women felt that Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations, while their constitutions contained a quota system, it was not being effectively implemented as evidenced by fewer women in the politburo or steering committee for the political parties.
It was also noted that the MDC-T had only one woman in the steering committee in its last congress held in Bulawayo.
Giving an outline of the workshop, caucus chairperson, Cde Beata Nyamupinga (Zanu-PF), said in their last two meetings, they have resolved to have the number of drafters raised to four from three, two of which should be women.
“We also need to give feedback to women across the country, otherwise they might feel that their views were rejected when they would have been captured but using a certain technical language,” said Cde Nyamupinga who is also Goromonzi East MP.
“We should convene meetings with national chairpersons and provincial chairpersons of political parties so that they have a buy-in, when we say we need a 50-50 representation.”
Non Constituency Member of House of Assembly, Cde Oppah Muchinguri (Zanu-PF), said while they had agreed to have their committee comprised of some lawyers, there was need for checks and balances otherwise the process might be hijacked if they were not in firm control themselves.
She noted that in some cases, men become defensive when they hear women talking of 50-50 concept.
“How do we convince our political parties? We need to build capacity for us to be able to speak with authority,” she said.