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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
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Africa: Women's Political Action
Africa: Women's Political Action
Date distributed (ymd): 970723
Document reposted by APIC
The following two reports were issued by:
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC)
Box 5690, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: (263-4)738694/5/6 Fax: 738693
E-mail: sardc@mango.zw
July 16, 1997
WOMEN INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO GAIN POLITICAL POWER
by Barbara Lopi and Grace Kwinjeh
A project that seeks to increase the number of women in politics and
decision making in cabinet, local government, parastatals, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) as well as in the churches has been launched in Zimbabwe.
The two-year-project, launched by the Ministry of National Affairs,
Employment Creation and Cooperatives (MNAECC) last month, shows the country's
efforts to address one of the Beijing 12 critical areas of concern - inequality
between men and women in power sharing and decision making at all levels.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Zimbabwe is funding
the project. Improving the representation of women at all levels of decision
making is one of Zimbabwe's national priority areas of concern from the
global Platform For Action (PFA).
The global PFA constitutes, issues that were identified as the main
obstacles to the advancement of women. These are poverty, education, health,
violence, armed conflicts, economic structures, human rights, media, environment,
and the girl child, apart from power sharing and decision making.
Tendayi Bare, the senior secretary for National Affairs, Employment
Creation and Cooperatives urged Zimbabwean women to have confidence and
take up decision making positions in the public sphere. "If we manage
homes, fields and families, why then can we not manage towns and countries?"
asked Bare. In some countries in the region, women caucuses, coalitions
and trust funds that go beyond the boundaries of party politics, are being
formed to provide solidarity and financial assistance to female candidates
for general and local government elections.
Women in the region believe their caucuses provide solidarity, cooperation
and a possible solution to political divisions that hinder the struggle
for equal participation with men in decision making.
In South Africa, for instance, women were drawn together prior to the
first democratic elections in 1994 by the Women's National Coalition and
drafted the Women's Charter for effective equality. This activity preceded
the elections and produced an interim constitution which committed itself
to equality.
Today, South Africa has a 33 percent quota of women parliamentarians
and holds the distinction of being one of the seven countries in the world
with the highest numbers of female members of parliament.
In Botswana, a national Caucus for Women Councillors and Parliamentarians
has been established to encourage women to take up council and parliamentary
positions.
This caucus affords women decision makers a forum to discuss and strategise
on the best way to handle issues affecting women in Botswana.
In Mauritius, NGOs through the women's coalition are sensitizing women
at grassroots on gender and participation in leadership positions.
In Mozambique, where women account for a 25 percent in decision making
representation at national level, an NGO, Association of the Mozambican
Women for Peace (AMWP) is battling to improve on this in all areas. Membership
to AMWP is open to all women regardless of party affiliation.
The AMWP is currently preparing for an increased participation of women
in local government elections to be held this November. It also wants to
be active in the legislative elections that will be held in 1999.
In Zambia, a trust fund has been established to support financially
female candidates contesting parliamentary and local government elections.
At the launch of the campaign support fund committee in Lusaka in May,
the chairperson of the women's committee of the ruling Movement for Multi-party
Democracy (MMD), Princess Nakatindi Wina urged women to unite and support
each other.
Princess Nakatindi who donated one million Kwacha (US$900) to the fund
said: "The fight for proper presentation of women on local government
bodies goes deeper than a gender issue and touches on a problem which seems
to be creating the last obstacle to complete national building."
The launch of the campaign trust fund will help lessen financial problems
which is one of the main obstacles to women's participation in decision
making positions in politics in the region.
The need for more women representation in decision making bodies will
help governments in the region achieve transparency and accountability,
which are key to true democracy. (SARDC)
July 16, 1997
REGION UNDER PRESSURE TO REVIEW DISCRIMINATORY LAWS
by Grace Kwinjeh
Women in southern Africa are increasingly pressing governments to review
laws which discriminate against them.
In Botswana the Unity Dow case, where women fought against the Citizenship
Act which denied Botswana citizenship to children born of Batswana women
and foreign husbands, set a precedent in the region for women to fight
against other discriminatory laws. The government of Botswana, giving in
to pressure from women's groups, has launched an official review of all
the laws that affect them. Most pressure has been coming from women's organisations
such as Emang Basadi, Women and Law in Southern Africa, Research Trust
(WLSA) and other women's groups.
The women are currently lobbying for change in the law on marriage which
they say treats them like children.
"When a woman marries, according to Botswana laws, she loses the
capacity to make final decisions affecting the home. The law says the head
of the family is the man. It says the husband is the legal guardian of
the children," complains Athalia Molokomme director of Emang Basadi.
Other laws they want changed are, the Affiliation Proceedings Act, customary
inheritance laws and The Deeds Registration Act. Laws which were not gender
neutral now amended are, the Mines and Quarries Act, The Employment Act,
and the Deeds Registry Act.
In Zimbabwe women are also lobbying for change in marriage laws. One
of the aims of this long term process of law review is to see the extent
to which laws can be reformed.
"We want to see what people say about marriage laws, for instance,
where lobola is not a requirement, we want to know what people think,"
says Sheila Kanyangarara, co-ordinator of the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association
(ZWLA), the organisation which is spearheading advocacy on the amending
of laws.
Kanyangarara also said that when government passed the legal Age of
Majority Act in 1982, there was not enough consultation and therefore not
everyone was satisfied.
"We do not want to seem to be imposing our views on people, this
is why we want to engage in discussions and debate, at all levels of society,
with men and women," Sheila said.
Some laws might also look fair on paper yet they give different rights
to people. In this case discrimination is not only sexual but can be based
on race or class.
In SADC countries family laws need to be reviewed because they only
worsen women's status. Under customary law in most, if not all countries,
a woman is a minor and her rights are completely oppressed.
Molokomme however, says they have a long way to go, and that family
law in Botswana reflects socio-cultural attitudes which subordinate women.
Women are also examining customary inheritance laws which entitle the
eldest son to claim the family estate.
In Zimbabwe, it is hoped that changes to the Deceased Estates Administration
Act, will in turn positively affect other laws which discriminate against
women.
The department of labour in South Africa has begun a legislative reform
programme to improve women's position in hiring, dismissal, training, remuneration
and equal pay for equal work.
This legislative reform will include looking at the Employment and Occupational
Equity Act aimed at removing discrimination against women at the workplace.
It is difficult to change the low status of women in society when on
paper they are still discriminated against, so it is through the improvement
of statutes that improvement in women's lives can be achieved. (SARDC)
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Africa
Policy Information Center (APIC), the educational affiliate of the Washington
Office on Africa. APIC's primary objective is to widen the policy debate
in the United States around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa,
by concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant information and
analysis usable by a wide range of groups and individuals.
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