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Women
demand 50-50 share of political power
ZimOnline
November
17, 2006
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=479
HARARE – At
least 50 Zimbabwean women demonstrated in Harare yesterday demanding
a 50 percent share of the country’s political power.
The demonstration
was organised by the Women
in Politics Support Unit (WIPSU), a civic group that promotes
the participation of women in issues of governance.
The demonstrators,
who included three legislators from the main opposition Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) party, marched from Africa Unity Square
in central Harare to the Harare Gardens wielding placards demanding
an equal share of political power.
Some of the
placards read: "The time for 50 percent women’s representation
is NOW."
Addressing the
protesters, Harare North legislator Trudy Stevenson said women should
demand equal representation in all elections in future beginning
with the upcoming urban council elections.
"We need
50-50 percent representation (with men) right now. We need to begin
with the forthcoming council elections," she said.
Human rights
groups say although women make up 52 percent of Zimbabwe’s 12 million
population, they are not represented meaningfully in positions of
governance. For example, out of the 10 provincial governors in Zimbabwe,
only two were women.
In addition,
only 22.2 percent of women are represented in political positions
in the country.
"Fifty-two
percent of the women’s population being represented by 22.2 percent
in politics is not justifiable," said Rutendo Hadebe, the director
of Women in Politics Support Unit (Wipsu) and one of the organisers
of the protest. - ZimOnline
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