Participation of Women in Zimbabwean Politics and the Mirage of Gender Equity
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ResearchGate
Abstract
Zimbabwe has signed and ratified a number of regional and international
instruments that call for gender equality in various spheres of life. However, in spite
of the existence of these supportive instruments, the country has not fared well in
advancing the participation of women in politics. The Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Gender and Development barometer reveals
that whilst women participation in politics is still below agreed benchmarks,
Zimbabwe’s citizens seem to believe the country is doing well in that regard. This
article argues that the discrepancy between the perceived and actual realities in
relation to the participation of women in politics is not by accident but is founded on a systemic and calculated maneuver by politically dominant males to open up the
political space when necessary and convenient for them. We argue, drawing
examples from different political players, that the participation of women in politics
has been more of manipulation than a genuine attempt to promote gender equality
and equity. The article argues that whilst there have been some moves to bring
about parity in numeric terms, there is a glass ceiling for women in terms of how far
they can go up the political ladder. It is in this vein that we hypothesize that women
have been sold a political dummy where through a raft of cosmetic measures they
have been given an impression that they are equals in governance yet on the other
hand recent political developments reveal that gender equity in governance remains
a mirage for them.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Women, Gender equity, Gender equality, Politics, Zimbabwe
Citation
i Maphosa, M., Tshuma, N., Maviza, G., 2015. Participation of Women in Zimbabwean Politics and the Mirage of Gender Equity. Journal of Conflict and Social Transformation. 4(2): 127-159.