By Diana Mavunduse
Gender equality in politics is not only about the access of women to leadership positions, but also about equal opportunities in political competition.
“For southern Africa to have a truly democratic political system, a levelled playing field for both men and women must be provided for them to participate in political decision making without bias or discrimination,” says Peter Oesterdiekhoff of the German-based Feriedrich Ebert Foundation.
Oesterdiekhoff adds that the under representation of women in decision-making subverts the notion of women’s equal rights and undermines the commitment to equality and participatory democracy.
Research done by Beckman and D’Amico on Women in decision making suggests that the reason why women have been excluded or are underrepresented in institutions of power such as parliament is because right from childhood, their socialisation directed them away from activities of power.
At a SADC Conference on Women in Politics and Decision Making held in Gaborone earlier this year, participants deplored women’s underrepresentation in the political decision-making process, noting that in southern Africa, women are the most affected by war sometimes becoming sole managers of the households when men go to fight.
The Beijing Platform for Action points out that civilian victims are mostly women and children who often outnumber casualties among combatants.
A Zimbabwean member of Parliament. Margaret Dongo says education of women has exceptionally high social, political and economic returns. “As mothers, it is easy for women to pass on their knowledge to children who are the leaders of tomorrow.’
According to Thenjiwe Mtintso, deputy secretary-general of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (A C), – If women are genuinely represented in parliament, they have different values and perspectives from those of men. These perspectives and values would change the character and values in parliament and impact on the kinds of policies that are made.”
“Without gender equality in politics, there is no democracy,” says Mtintso, adding: “Only when political parties and national legislation are decided upon jointly by men and women with regard to the interest and aptitudes of both halves of the population, will democracy in southern Africa assume true and dynamic significance.”
Article 36 of the Beijing Declaration refers to a commitment by signatories to equal rights, equal responsibilities and equal opportunities and participation of women and men in all national, regional and international bodies and policy-making processes.
On 8 September 1997, just a week before the second anniversary of the Beijing Conference, SADC Heads of State and their Governments mate at their summit in Blantyre, Malawi, where they reinforced their commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by signing the SADC Gender and Development Declaration.
“We commit ourselves and our respective countries to ensuring the equal representation of women an men in the decision making of member states and SADC structures at all levels, and the achievement of at least 30 percent target of women in political and decision-making structures by the year 2005,” reads the SADC declaration in part.
“We commend our governments for their efforts to uplift women into decision-making positions, but they still need to work harder so that by the year 2005 we would have achieved our goal,” says Mary Nagu, Tanzanian Minister for Community Development, Women Affairs and Children.
However, no SADC country has yet achieved the 30 percent threshold of women in parliament at national level regarded by the U as the “critical mass” for ensuring that women impact on decision making. (SARDC)
