POLITICS-NAMIBIA:
Gender Equality =
- Making=20
The Numbers Count
Moses Magadza
WINDHOEK, Oct 6 =
(IPS) -=20
Namibian gender activists applaud the goal =
of a=20
50/50 split of women and men in government =
by=20
2015, but warn that the real work is only =
just=20
beginning.
The goal was set by =
the=20
Protocol on Gender and Development, signed =
in=20
early August by the countries of the =
Southern=20
African Development Community (SADC) in=20
Johannesburg, South Africa. The Protocol =
calls on=20
member states to pass laws to achieve this =
target.=20
A previous SADC target was set at 30 =
percent.=20
Lucy Edwards, a sociologist and =
lecturer=20
at the University of Namibia (UNAM), =
believes that=20
the Protocol's targets are desirable and=20
attainable but might remain pie in the sky =
if=20
women do not fight to achieve them. =
"Women=20
must lobby for monitoring mechanisms," she =
said.=20
"So while we welcome this proposed 50-50=20
representation, we know that it has yet to =
be=20
translated into action."
Out of 15 =
SADC=20
countries, only Angola, Namibia, =
Mozambique and=20
South Africa have attained the 30 percent =
target.=20
Namibia reached it in May, after several =
MPs died=20
or resigned and were replaced by women.=20
This puts Namibia well over the=20
sub-Saharan average of 17 percent of women =
in=20
Parliament and among the 20 countries of =
the world=20
with a critical mass of women Members of=20
Parliament (MPs).
In Namibia's =
last=20
general election in November 2004, eight =
political=20
parties contested 72 parliamentary seats. =
The=20
ruling South West Africa People's =
Organisation=20
(SWAPO) won 55, and has 22 women MPs. The =
Congress=20
of Democrats (COD) won five seats and has =
three=20
women MPs. Among the smaller opposition =
parties=20
who hold the remaining seats, only the =
United=20
Democratic Front (UDF) has a female MP. =
A=20
voluntary quota of 30 percent of women in =
party=20
lists helped get more women elected.=20
"Neither Parliament nor the =
government=20
compelled political parties to include =
women on=20
their lists," said David Nahogandja, the=20
Parliamentary liaison officer, adding =
that, in the=20
absence of legislation, parties that have =
few=20
women in their structures cannot be =
penalized.=20
In spite of the voluntary quota, =
many=20
women candidates were placed at the bottom =
of the=20
lists and failed to secure seats. The =
solution for=20
the next elections in 2009 would be to use =
the=20
zebra or zipper system, which alternates =
equal=20
numbers of women and men on party lists.=20
Namibia follows the proportional=20
representation electoral system based on =
party=20
lists for parliamentary positions and a=20
winner-takes-all system for the president. =
A study by UNIFEM says that, =
worldwide,=20
more women tend to be elected in systems =
of=20
proportional representation than in=20
constituency-based systems. =
Serving=20
tea
Edwards said that, =
although most=20
political parties in Namibia have =
incorporated=20
women in their structures, she was =
disappointed=20
because women had not "created waves".=20
"The mere fact that there are some =
women=20
in various political parties does not mean =
that=20
they will challenge the status quo or that =
they=20
will challenge patriarchy. Presence alone =
does not=20
create conditions for a feminist agenda, =
which is=20
to attain complete equity," she said. =
The=20
protocol defines gender equity as the =
"just and=20
fair distribution of benefits, rewards and =
opportunities" and gender equality as =
"equal=20
enjoyment of rights and the access to=20
opportunities and outcomes, including =
resources".=20
One thing Edwards would like to =
see is a=20
feminist critique of the national budget =
to=20
analyze how its allocations benefit women. =
Another is to see women as leaders =
in=20
political parties. Often, says Edwards, =
women are=20
relegated to "the catering wings" of their =
parties: "When serious debates are in =
progress,=20
men are at the table while women are =
outside=20
cooking or serving refreshments. How do =
they=20
influence policy?"
Still, the =
Protocol=20
came into action through the combined =
forces of=20
the women's movement in Southern Africa, =
with=20
strategic lobbying at country and regional =
level.=20
Michael Conteh, a gender activist =
based at=20
UNAM, said the Protocol now needs to be=20
"domesticated by being made part of the =
national=20
laws of member states".
He said =
that some=20
men who stand to lose their "patriarchal =
dividend"=20
might resist the Protocol but that women =
had the=20
numbers to prevail. "They just need to =
organise=20
themselves," he said.
Conteh =
expressed=20
optimism that Namibia would meet the 50/50 =
target.=20
Already, women head 59 of the country's =
119=20
diplomatic missions, and 13 out of 31 =
parastatals=20
have women in senior management. =
Phanuel=20
Kaapana, a political analyst, warns that =
numbers=20
alone don't do the trick.
"Some =
women who=20
get those positions can also become =
oppressors of=20
other women and become elites. They might =
see=20
themselves more like men because they have =
broken=20
into the men's domain. Some powerful men =
can also=20
bring in [women] who will not challenge =
them," he=20
said.
Lovisa Namutenya, the first =
woman=20
secretary general in the Student =
Representative=20
Council at UNAM, said the Protocol would =
embolden=20
women to demand meaningful participation. =
She=20
noted that, in student politics, women =
seldom run=20
for the top posts.
"Structures of=20
influence all over the region remain=20
male-dominated and the tragedy is that =
women seem=20
to have accepted men lording over them as =
the=20
norm," she said.
With the 50/50 =
target=20
officially adopted, one might see more =
women=20
discussing policy and more men serving =
tea.=20
(END/2008)
Send your comments to =
the=20
editor
|
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Dancing at a SWAPO event (High =
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Credit: Moses=20
=
Magadza/IPS | | | <=
/TR> | | <=
/TD>
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