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Daphne Machiri Herald correspondent
Women that attended the 3rd annual Gender Forum in Mutare last week commended Cabinet’s approval of constitutional amendments that will see the extension of the women’s quota system by another 10 years to 2023.
They said the extension will enhance their chances of achieving parity in politics and decision-making.
The guest of honour Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tsitsi Gezi said the extension of women’s quota system is a gallant effort by the Government through the Parliament of Zimbabwe to recognise the role played by women in politics and key decision making.
“It is also crucial to look beyond the quota as it ends 2023, we need to come up with more sustainable strategies for ensuring democracy through empowering women, decision making and political participation,” she said.
“The world will only improve if women expand their roles as political, economic, family and social leaders.”
She noted that Zimbabwe had made progress in increasing the participation of women in politics through being a signatory of international and regional gender equality and women’s advancement instruments, such as the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Protocol on Women’s Rights and the COMESA Gender Policy Beijing platform for Action (BPFA), the SADC Protocol on Gender Development, and the African Charter Democracy on Election and Governance.
These she said have principles that uphold women participation in politics and decision making as well as addressing gender equality in all spheres.
“This all shows that towards the African Union Agenda 2063 provides for gender parity in all pan African organisation and seeks to ensure that at least 20 percent of rural women have access to and control of productive assets by 2023, all these frameworks and treaties fall under the previews of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SMEs Development as well as the Zimbabwe Gender Commission,” she said.
Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Jennifer Mhlanga the drive towards 50:50 gender parity should also not exclude the girl child.
“Our Constitution has laid strong foundation for the promotion of gender equality in all sectors, as a ministry we are there to work with all stakeholder in ensuring 50:50 gender is mainstreamed across the board as well as creating supportive environment for gender parity,” said Cde Mhlanga.
She said it was critical to target political parties in order to influence Constitutional reforms at political party level and ensure alignment of their constitutions to the National Constitution.
Zimbabwe Gender Commission Commissioner chairperson Margaret Mukahanana Sangarwe said the gender disparity a lot of issues beyond the moral and social aspects.
“As a Commission established in terms of Section 232 and 245 of the Constitution and operationalised through the Gender Commission Act (Chapter 10:31) our overall responsibility, is to facilitate the promotion of gender equality as well as ensuring that the gender equality provisions of the Constitutions are adhered to,” said Commissioner Mukahanana Sangarwe.
“As a commission we are there to make sure the gender gaps in economic opportunities are addressed by making sure women are given opportunities in decision making and politics,” she said.
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