GOVERNMENT says it is worried about the declining number of women participating in elections over the years.
Addressing diplomats and foreign observer missions accredited to cover the August 23 polls on Monday, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said it had always been government’s wish that women take part in the country’s politics.
“We have always wanted women involvement in our politics and we introduced the women’s quota so that more women can take part in our politics, but since 2013 and 2018 thenumbers have dropped significantly affecting women's involvement in our politics,” Ziyambi said.
“We will continue to encourage more and more women to take part in our politics.”
United Zimbabwe Alliance president, Elisabeth Valerio, is the only female presidential candidate after winning an appeal against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s rejection of her nomination papers.
Another female presidential aspirant and leader of the Labour, Economists and African Democrats, Linda Masarira is also challenging Zec at the courts after she failed to submit her nomination papers following a payment dispute.
Masarira wanted to pay using real time gross settlement, but the presiding officers insisted on cash or payment through the ZimSwitch Instant Payment Interchange Technology system.
Four women took part in the 2018 presidential elections.
- Drop in female candidates worrying: Govt
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Women’s political representation has fluctuated over the past 10 years.
Following the adoption of a new Constitution in 2013, the proportion of women in the National Assembly increased from 14% to 32% and in the Senate from 33% to 48%, resulting in an overall women representation of 34%.
