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Women in politics: boost to gender equity
By Sifelani Tsiko
AN increasing number of African women are breaking into politics and in so doing advancing gender equality and female empowerment as an effective way of combating poverty, hunger and disease.
The latest addition to the small but growing list of women who have assumed powerful and influential positions is Burundi’’s second Vice President Alice Nzomukunda, who was recently appointed by Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Nzomukunda (39), an accountant by training, is the first woman in Burundi to hold the vice presidency since the central African country gained independence in 1962.
She was a legislator in the last National Assembly representing the capital, Bujumbura.
She was re-elected in legislative elections held in July this year.
Women in Burundi, just like in neighbouring Rwanda, suffered death, humiliation, persecution and sexual abuse during the civil war that left thousands of people dead.
Burundi women are today taking an active role as their country goes through a period of peace and national reconstruction.
The appointment of Nzomukunda consolidates women’’s empowerment gains registered by most countries, particularly in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region.
In 1994, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni appointed Dr Wandira Kazibwe as vice president making her one of the highest-ranking women in politics on the continent at the time.
Since then, studies show that despite being one of the poorest regions in the world, the level of women’’s representation in parliament in sub-Saharan Africa is higher than in most countries in the rich North.
In line with the 1997 Sadc Declaration on Gender and Development, the region now has two women vice presidents, Joice Mujuru of Zimbabwe and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa (SA) as well as a female prime minister, Luisa Dias Diogo of Mozambique.
Mlambo-Ngcuka (49) replaced Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who was fired after he was implicated in the high profile corruption case of his former financial advisor, Schabir Shaik.
SA President Thabo Mbeki said Mlambo-Ngcuka’’s appointment strengthens the participation of women in the executive.
Mlambo-Ngcuka has been credited with promoting the empowerment of black Africans in the fuel sector that is dominated by white South Africans.
Vice President Mujuru was elevated to the Zanu-PF presidium and the national presidency in December last year setting another first in Zimbabwe, having been appointed cabinet minister at the tender age of 25 in 1980.
Mozambican Prime Minister, Diogo was elevated by former president, Joachim Chissano in February last year.
The appointment of African women to influential positions is an important milestone that enhances the drive to promote women in decision-making positions.
According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem), women in Rwanda top the world ratings of women in the national parliament with 49 percent representation compared to a world average of 15,1 percent.
In the 2003 general elections, a total of 39 women were voted into the lower house and another six into the upper house with 20 seats reserved for women.
Rwandan women won plaudits for lobbying heavily for a new constitution with voting guidelines that guaranteed seats for female candidates.
Rwanda has upstaged Sweden where women make up 45 percent of the parliament.
As United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said: "Study after study has shown that there is no effective development strategy in which women do not play a central role."
In South Africa and Mozambique, women hold 30 percent of the seats in the national parliaments and this compares favourably with international targets.
Female representation in national parliaments across sub-Saharan Africa now equals the world average of 15 percent.
In its 2002, Progress of the World’’s Women report, Unifem says women in the US, France and Japan hold just over 10 percent of parliamentary seats.
By 1996, women in South Africa constituted half the electorate and held an average 10 percent of the seats in parliament and six percent in the national cabinet.
And now, South Africa has 30 percent female representation in parliament and 38 percent at cabinet level putting it among the top 16 countries in the world where female representation exceeds 25 percent.
Mozambique has the second highest figure of women in politics, holding close to 25 percent of seats in parliament.
Ironically, Zimbabwe has, in the last few years, registered a decline in female representation in parliament especially in the 2000-2002 elections.
In the general election held in March this year, 60 women participated and only 19 were successful –– 13 from the ruling Zanu-PF party and six from the opposition MDC.
Researchers on gender issues say most of the countries that have achieved significant increases in female participation in politics have done so using the quota system —— a form of affirmative action in favour of women.
They say the quota system kick-started the process of improving female participation in national politics.
In Africa, three approaches are common namely:
Constitutional quotas that are used in some countries like Burkina Faso and Uganda, where constitutional provisions guarantee and reserve seats for women in national parliaments.
Other countries like Sudan have provisions written in their statute books guaranteeing election quotas for women.
But the most common are the political party quotas.
Under this system, political parties adopt internal rules that enable a certain number of women to run for office.
This is popular among political parties in South Africa —— the African National Congress, Mozambique —— Frelimo, Swapo in Namibia and Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe.
In spite of this, women still face many hurdles in the fight for gender rights and empowerment and these include intimidation, negative attitudes, stereotypes by society and lack of support from the electorate.
Lack of political support and access to equal education and training, have also affected women’’s fight.
Margaret Dongo, the first female independent legislator and leader of the now defunct Zimbabwe Union of Democrats (ZUD), once said, "Political life is organised for male norms and values and in many cases even for male life-styles. But this must change and will change."
Unifem says the quota system alone does work but only levels the playing field on which women battle for equality.
According to gender activists, quotas "can only be a transitory solution not a cure for the making of a true democracy."
Other gender activists attribute the low representation of women in politics to socio-cultural perceptions and lack of finance, political commitment, consciousness and goodwill that keep women confined to roles outside politics.
Gender issues came into the limelight in the 1980s and early 1990s through a series of international conferences.
The major drive came from the 4th World Conference on Women that was held in Beijing, China in 1995 which advocated for a 30 percent representation by women in national governments.
The 2000 UN Millennium summit in New York also consolidated the gains made in Beijing with world leaders pledging to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in the fight against hunger and poverty.
In the end, it is women and women alone who can bring change.
As former South African Speaker of Parliament, Frene Ginwala pointed out: "In any society and situation it is those most affected who must bring about change.
Those who are privileged benefit from a system that marginalises them. It’’s up to us, the women (to change the system)."
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