Female candidates fight alone, as Gender Commission goes to sleep

Female candidates fight alone, as Gender Commission goes to sleep #ElectionsZW

Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) president Linda Masarira has raised concern about the Zimbabwe Gender Commission’s decision to remain silent when female candidates struggled with nomination issues in the past week.

The struggles by women resulted in an all-male Presidential race, at a time when the Zimbabwe Gender Commission is tasked with ensuring there is gender equality in the country.

Women were generally put off by the Presidential nomination fees of US$20 000 and US$ 1000 for Parliament pegged by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

United Zimbabwe Alliance president Elisabeth Valerio and Masarira are currently fighting in the Electoral Court to have their nomination accepted.

In an interview, Linda Masarira said she is shocked that the Zimbabwe Gender Commission has not said a thing.

‘’On our fight against nomination fees, I have not even heard the position of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, they did not even bother to issue a statement which is worrisome because they do have the mandate from the constitution of Zimbabwe to be able to comment and push for gender equality in this country.

‘’So that is a real cause of concern, and every right-thinking person should actually be asking why the Zimbabwe Gender Commission is silent at a time like this,’’ she said.

In terms of support, Masarira said only a handful of women’s organisations have come to her support and that of other female candidates.

‘’On getting support, I got support from WILSA and IYWD and I am grateful for their support.

‘’WILSA actually issued a statement, and IYWD has been very supportive of all women candidates from Presidential to MPs and councillors.

‘’We really appreciate the work that they have been doing and some women’s organisations have been silent about it, we expected to hear the women’s movement making noise about the absence of female candidates on the Presidential ballot and very few numbers that were successfully nominated to be MPs and councillors.

‘’I think it’s not yet Uhuru for women in Zimbabwe and the long and short of it is there is no democracy without women,’’ she said.  

Female candidates fight alone, as Gender Commission goes to sleep #ElectionsZW