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Analysis of coverage of women politicians by the print media in Zimbabwe
Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU)
January 2003

Women in their Political Parties
It is important that women in politics be recognized and appreciated as politicians and be seen to be playing a role in the politics of the day, either in their constituencies or in their political parties. This will be useful in assessing the kind of politics that woman are involved in and to determine the influence they have in the policy of political parties. There were three reports on the involvement of women MPs in the election processes. In September the country ran the rural district council elections throughout the country.

The reports are summarized as follows:

1. The ruling party wins 153 of the 158 contested rural district council seats in Manicaland Province, Daily Mirror, 3 October.
   Without making any reference to the role of the Governor, the story had a picture of her but the story was about the ruling party winning the rural elections in her Province.
   
   
2. MP for Makokoba, Thokozane Khupe happy that her party had won the Council by-elections. Daily News, 1 October.
   The story talked about how the woman MP had confidence that the people of Bulawayo had voted for the opposition party members in the City’s by-elections.

These two reports show that women politicians also have a say in the election processes. However, the stories would have been more powerful if they were more informative on the women’s views of the election processes. The story on the Manicaland Governor, Oppah Muchinguri, is an example of this. It does not say what role she played in the election campaigns yet it carries a photograph of her. Women are the majority of voters and are usually responsible for the campaigns of the males in their parties. It is important for their role in elections to be highlighted and they be encouraged to stand for office. Women have also been relegated to the sidelines in the politics of their own parties. The media can play a significant role in uplifting their status by reporting more positively on them.

Women as Victims of Violence   TOP
Public and politically motivated violence has been on the increase in Zimbabwe since the time of the Parliamentary elections in 2000. Women too have suffered violence but it has often gone un-reported. Violence is a hindrance to women’s participation in politics either as political leaders or as citizens. Women in elected office have also suffered violence. There was just one article on this issue summarized below:

1. Hilda Mafudze, MP for Mhondoro subjected to violent treatment, Daily News, 16 September.

The report alleged that Hilda Mafudze had been subjected to violent treatment by a group of people from one of the political parties at the nomination court in Chegutu during the run up to the rural district council elections. She was reported as saying she had to lock herself in her vehicle and that her detention had led to members of her party failing to register for the elections.

Her experience is an example of the violence that women in elected office face in the political arena. In the past three years the political scene has been wrought with violence. Women have been victims of this politically motivated violence but in most cases the matters go unreported.

Women Portrayed as Perpetrators of Violence   TOP
There was one article published on this issue.

1. Governor allegedly chases Mutasa MP from function. Daily News, 2 October.

The story reported that the Governor for Manicaland had chased away Evelyn Masaiti, the MP for Mutasa from a function that was held in the MP’s constituency. The Governor denied the allegations stating that on that day she had been actually in Harare attending Parliament.

There have been misconceptions and stereotypes in our society that women do not support each other. The story reinforced those stereotypes. It gave the impression that women cannot work amicably especially if they are from different political parties. This is somehow refuted by the report referred to earlier where the Chairperson. A portrayal of women supposedly fighting as enemies of each other reduces public confidence in women as leaders.

Profiling of Women Politicians   TOP
Only one story was published on women politicians and their social life.

1. Sithembiso Nyoni- A fighter for rural folk, the Daily News, 7 September.

Sithembiso Nyoni, the Minister for the Informal Sector and non-constituency MP was profiled in the report. Her life and family were highlighted.

The story was carried in the Children’s Page of the Daily News. This can lead to two conclusions: that there is a deliberate effort to ensure that the younger generation is aware of prominent people in our society or that the story is not considered serious enough for the more mature reader. However, on a positive note the story highlights the life and experience of a woman politician and should be encouraged even for the older and more serious readership.

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