50/50- Why is Increasing Women’s Participation Such a Priority Concern?
by Vongai V Chikwanda

It is clear that politics and decision making is still being defined as a man’s game, domain, old boy’s network or club. When it comes to women’s rights there has always to be some negotiation, some justification and eventually it becomes begging reducing women to nonentity. The quest for a 50% participation and representation still remains a struggle- not saying we expect to get it on a silver platter. The rights women have achieved over the last 27years and more, whether political, social, economic or cultural, have not been given, but hard fought and earned. As half of the population, women are entitled to at least half the seats in parliament.

Women are demanding equal participation in political and decision making process. In fact women want an increased representation in all three branches of government because:

1. Women’s equal participation in decision making is not only a demand for simple justice or democracy, but also ought to be seen as a necessary condition for women’s interests to be fairly taken into account and for social and economic development. Women have different approaches to problems and priorities. They carry women’s, children’s and national agenda forward. 27 years after independence, women’s participation in democratic political processes is still far from equal to that of men.
2. While women constitute 52% of the population, they are a mere 19,6% of elected leadership at national level and 6% at Local Government level. If women who form more than half the population are represented by only 19,6 % of sitting MPs or if they rely for their representation on men, then the capacity of the existing political system to represent women adequately is seriously diminished
3. Equality of opportunity in politics is a fundamental human right which is inherent, indivisible and inalienable. In other words societies with women’s share of seats in political bodies below 30% are far less inclusive, less egalitarian and of course less democratic
4. Women’s participation in political and decision making bodies improves the quality of governance.

In politics no-one sex has the God ordained role of deciding overally everyone’s future.The way the political sphere is operating is much to the exclusion of women. The structures of the political sphere makes a difference to how many women are fielded as candidates and how many win. This includes the extent to which political parties have taken institutional root in society. Women continue to be underrepresented in the highest structures of governance.

Changes in electoral system are important in ensuring and enhancing women’s participation as the majoritarian system does not seem to bring women into political office. Within the existing electoral systems, the ability of women to influence decision making has been severely constrained.

Despite the numerous agreements that are now calling for a 50%women’s representation, we urge all parties to filed 50% of their candidates as women. Women urge the government to set a target of not less than 30% women from nominations, to elections. Women are the critical mass and demand 50% now.  Its time a popular voice is brought into decision-making. We will continue to clamor and until eventually we get what is ours and what we deserve.