Call for more women councillors

Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday News Reporter

THE Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ) recently held its fourth Women in Local Government Forum (WiLF) congress with a call to address the declining numbers of female councillors in rural local authorities. 

The main aim of the congress that was held in Bulawayo was to create a roadmap for equal participation of women in rural local governance. There are 197 female councillors out of 1 564 in the country’s rural district councils. Addressing the congress, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Cde Jennifer Mhlanga said women should come up with ideas on how they can fully participate in issues to do with development.

“Women are the majority of participants in development planning meetings thus more robust strategies need to be employed in order to bring more women to the fore because gender balance is not only about figures but competencies,” she said.

Cde Mhlanga said women need to establish a committee that will champion the cause of women in the local governance.

“I propose that a National Executive Committee compromising officials and councillors from both urban and rural local authorities be established in order to champion the cause of women in the sector. As women we should commit ourselves to working for the forum in order to have enough women voices.”

WiLGF chairperson Alderman Mavis Mahuvava said although women have strengths as a forum, there were challenges pulling them down to achieve the 50/50 representation.

“As WiLGF we have no reliable and sustainable funding to support our programmes and operations to champion gender mainstreaming in our local authorities. Also the lack of support from fellow women makes it hard for us to be influential contributing to the dropping levels of women councillors. Women should join forces in lobbying and advocating for the full implementation of Section 17 of the National Constitution of Zimbabwe towards full participation of women in all spheres of the Local Government.”