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Chiedza Simbo
WE have not forgotten. There are three women out of 26 cabinet ministers, three women out of the 13 ministers of state, and five women out of 24 deputy ministers. All the above means that only 11.5 percent of the cabinet is female yet we constitute 52 percent of the entire population.
The above scenario is real for Zimbabwean women today yet our Constitution recognises and acknowledges the toil and suffering of women who fought to liberate Zimbabwe during the Chimurenga war.
Our Constitution honours the men and women who toiled and continue toiling for the progress of Zimbabwe.
It clearly states the commitment of every Zimbabwean in upholding and defending human rights including the right to equal opportunities for both men and women.
It recognises that God created men and women equal in dignity and freedoms. Zimbabwe is found on the value of gender equality.
To help in achieving gender equality the Constitution obligates Zimbabwe to make it a national objective to ensure the participation of Zimbabwean women in all spheres of the Zimbabwean society based on their equality with men.
Women’s rights are elaborated in the Constitution and women have a right to equal opportunities with men even politically.
Zimbabwe is also party to international organisations and conventions which uphold the rights of women.
Speaking constitutionally, it is noted that as the Government revises laws to align them with the Constitution, it must ensure that laws reflect gender balance and ensure that all genders are equitably represented in all Government institutions.
Laws must state that women must constitute at least half of all Government bodies established by the Constitution including the Cabinet.
When choosing the Cabinet, the President must consider gender balance and regional balance.
This means that in the spirit of the Constitution, the President must be guided by the need for gender and regional balance.
Striving for gender balance means the President must aim to ensure that in Cabinet, women are represented equitably with men.
Striving for regional balance means that he must aim to ensure that in Cabinet, all regions in the country are represented at Cabinet level. The Constitution has all the promises, so why did the President not consider gender balance?
Or did he? No one can purport to correctly answer the above questions except the President.
What is of importance is for everyone to note that, while the framework for gender equality is there, the hope for Zimbabwe to be a developed country is possible if persons are appointed to Cabinet positions based not only gender but also professional skills and competence.
Professional skills may mean academic qualifications and competence may include-experience, character etc.
Any woman must qualify to be a Cabinet minister if she has the skills and is at the level of competence required for the job.
In light of the need for qualifications and competence the Constitution allows the president to appoint any person (up to five persons) to be a minister based on their “competence and professional skills”.
So, in the event that the National assembly and Senate did not have enough women to appoint as Cabinet ministers, did the President seek for qualified women outside Senate or National Assembly with the “professional skills and competence”?
If not can we show him these women next time there is a vacant position in Cabinet?
The above questions are answered by first agreeing on the definition of the words “professional skills and competence” stated by the Constitution.
Constitutionally the President could appoint five women (or men) with the “professional skills and competence” from outside Senate or the National Assembly.
Surely the President must have had his criteria of a “professionally skilled and competent” minister and presumably he did not see a lot of women in and outside the Senate and National assembly who were professionally skilled and competent for the jobs.
Can the above view be correct? Surely not.
Despite past segregation of women, Zimbabwe must have women who are “professionally skilled and competent” to fit the President’s criteria as long as the criteria does not include “party card carrying member”.
However, as women we can agree that the women we consider “professionally skilled and competent” are there but maybe our definition of “professionally skilled and competent” might not be the one used by the President.
So, what is the legal way forward for us women? The suggestions are as follows; first and most important, women must lobby for laws and policies which define the constitutional criteria of a “professionally skilled and competent person” who the President can consider for Cabinet posts.
Such legal or policy definitions must take into account the previous disadvantaged position of women.
Women previously failed to climb the ladder of success because men (black or white) made sure that there was no ladder to climb. The ladder was for men.
Women have never sought special recognition they just seek the restoration of their rights in one way or the other and the recognition of their previous disadvantaged position.
Second, after defining the words “professionally skilled and competent”, all political parties must immediately start grooming women who will meet the criteria so that they can take Cabinet posts as they fall vacant or in 2018.
Third, when choosing candidates to contests all political positions, voters must look out for women who will fit the “professional skilled and competent” criteria so that they can stand the chance to be appointed as Cabinet ministers.
This way voters take responsibility and can indirectly dictate who will represent them.
Forth, each woman who has a dream to be a minister must know the requirements that fulfil the criteria for “professionally skilled and competence” and endeavour to meet them so that they can claim their eligibility.
Woman! Never give up on being in power because it is your right.
Chiedza Simbo writes in her capacity as director for the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association.
Online Reporter