50/50 REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND YOUNG WOMEN IN ELECTIVE POSITIONS AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT, EXECUTIVE, PUBLIC SECTOR INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE SECTOR IN ZIMBABWE

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
____________________________________
FORM OF PETITION
____________________________________

TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED
____________________________________
SECOND SESSION – NINETH PARLIAMENT
____________________________________

PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT ON 15 NOVEMBER 2019  

The Petition of the Undersigned:

The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe a non-partisan network of women’s rights organizations and activists, with a membership base of 65 Organizations and 2 045 individual members, whose contact details are 31 Harvey Brown Avenue, Milton Park, Harare, and contact number is 0775 708 657. It is registered as a Trust

WHOSE Funding Method is: Donor funding from various organisations;

WHOSE Board members are as follows: Ronika Mumbire, Lydia Madyirapanze, Audrey Charamba, Linda Mpofu, Selina Marewangepo and Joyce Mhungu.

Together with the women, young women, girls, boys and men of Zimbabwe whose signatures are in full support of this petition, and with the support of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission,

Respectfully shows-
That Your Petitioners:
Being citizens of Zimbabwe;

COGNISANT that every citizen of Zimbabwe has the right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including the enactment of legislation as stipulated under section 149(1) of the Constitution.

AWARE that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has the power to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe are upheld and that all institutions and agencies of government at every level act constitutionally and in the national interest as provided by section 119(2) of the Constitution.

RECOGNISING that Zimbabwe is founded on the principle of gender equality as stipulated by section 3(1)(g) of the Constitution.

APPRECIATING that section 17 of the Constitution mandates the State to promote full gender balance in all the spheres of Zimbabwean society and to take legislative measures needed to ensure that both genders are equally represented in all agencies of government at every level, and that women constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and governmental bodies established under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament.

DEEPLY CONCERNED by the reduced numbers of women and young women in elected posts in Parliament, Local government, the Presidium, appointed posts in Parastatals, and Public Administration which signify inertia and lack of commitment by government, and stakeholders both in public and private sectors, to faithfully and effectively implement sections 17, 20 and 56 of the Constitution.

AND YEARNING for a Zimbabwean society where women and young women’s rights are protected, and both are equally represented in politics and decision-making positions

NOW THEREFORE the petitioners beseech Parliament of Zimbabwe to ensure firstly, the full implementation of the supreme law of the land and secondly, the establishment of a legal framework that unequivocally promotes gender equality and gender parity as prescriptively provided by the spirit and letter of sections 17,20, 56, 80 and 194 of the Constitution.

BACKGROUND
The participation of women in their full diversity including young women, girls and women living with disabilities in leadership and decision-making processes is fundamental to the achievement of democracy and good governance.

Section 17 of the Constitution provides thus,

“the state must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society. The state must promote the full participation of women in all spheres of Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men. The State must take all measures including legislative measures needed to ensure that both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level.”

The section further states that,

“the State should ensure that women constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and appointed governmental bodies established by or under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament”

Section 20 of the Constitution provides that people between the ages of fifteen and thirty five, young women included have opportunities to associate and to be represented and participate in political, social economic and other spheres of life

Section 56 of the Constitution provides that women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

Section 194 (1)(k) of the Constitution provides that employment and advancement practices must be based on the equality of men and women, inter alia.

Cognizant that the powers to appoint exercised by the President and the Ministers in the Executive are directly correlated to the representation of women in elected positions at both local government and parliamentary levels as required by the Constitution, it is a glaring fact that in Zimbabwe, women still lag behind men in decision-making and leadership positions in public, private, economic and social life.

Petitioners’ Plea and Prayer:
THUS, your petitioners appeal to this August House to:
1. Exercise its full powers as provided for by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
2. Enact a Gender Equality Act that specifically and administratively secures the mandatory constitutional gender parity and gender equality principles in all public, electoral and private appointments in line with the Constitution.
3. Ensure that the Electoral reform agenda delivers 50% of the direct election seats to women including young women and women living with disabilities.
4. Ensure that within the 50% direct election seats, 25% is secured for young women between the ages of fifteen and thirty five including young women living with disabilities
5. The aforesaid legislation to clearly set out the institutional, operational and budgetary punitive measures for failure to comply with the same.
6. Amend Political Parties Finances Act to ensure that only political parties that meet the constitutional standard receive resources under the Act.

WHEREFORE your petitioners pray that the Honourable House will be pleased to take their case into favourable consideration, and grant such relief as it may deem fit.

AND your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Dated at Harare, this 15th Day of November 2019