Despite the fact that the constitution of Zimbabwe promotes gender parity in national decision-making, women in Zimbabwe still lag behind in electoral participation. Different factors including locked financial resources, a violent political environment and persisting a patriachical culture contribute to this low-level participation.
Section 17 (1) of the Zimbabwean constitution says: “it is obligatory for the state to promote gender parity in term of political participation” while Section 124(1) (b) provides for parliamentary seats to be reserved for women.
The Proportional Representation quota under section 120(2) (a) of the Constitution provides for the election of senators under a party system of proportional representation, in which male and female candidates are listed alternatively, with females heading the list.
The constitution compels the state to “… take all measures, including legislative measures needed to ensure that both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level and women must constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective appointed governmental bodies established by or under this Constitution or any Act of Parliament”.
However, notwithstanding these and other constitutional provisions pertaining to gender parity and equity in key decision- making, the participation of women in Zimbabwean politics continues to be very low. Of the 23 candidates participating in the country’s presidential elections set for July 30 2018, only 4 are women.
According to the Government Gazette of June 2018, 243 women out of more than a thousand candidates are contesting for the house of assembly and 146 women out of 290 candidates contesting for senate.
Women’s low participation in politics raises questions as to whether Zimbabwe will be able to get to a situation where men and women share a 50 percent representation in the political arena.
According to Vongai Zimudzi, a member of Zimbabwe Women in Politics Alliance (ZWIPA), an organisation which advocates for full participation of women in social, economic and political affairs, the major reason why women do not meaningfully participate in politics is the violent nature of the country’s political system.
“The political environment is not conducive for women seeking political space. Violence is a major push away for women hence most women shun away from politics”, said Zimudzi.
“Women are not physically at par with men and they cannot afford to physically defend themselves at political gatherings in Zimbabwe, which tend to be violent.As such, women tend to shun away from politics.”
According to Linda Masarira, spokesperson of the Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T, fewer women put themselves forward for elections because they are economically challenged to meet the huge costs of participating in politics.
“Electioneering needs substantial economic resources and most women in this country are still challenged economically to be able to meet the costs”, Masarira said.
She said a culture of patriarchy in Zimbabwe especially within local power hierarchy also makes it difficult for women to compete for political power.
“There is largely a negative perception and opposition to women being in the public space due to the ingrained system of patriarchy in which politics is considered a male domain,” said Duduzile Nyirongo, an independent candidate aspiring to be the councilor for Ward 7 that covers Avondale, Alexandra Park, Kensington, Gun hill , Avondale West, Belgravia, J M Tongogara Barracks (KG6), State House, `Strathaven and Morris Depot.
Nyirongo added that the perception that women belong to the private sphere of rearing children and performing household chores is also distancing women from a more active participation in politics.
