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Towards equal representation in parliament
2008-06-03 10:19:55
By Luumba Rashid
The concept of democracy will only assume true and dynamic significance when political parties and the laws of the land are decided upon jointly by men and women with equitable regard to the interests and aptitudes of both halves of the population.
It is in the context of this concept that the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) in collaboration with the Netherlands` Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) recently organized a one day stakeholders` conference on increased women representation in the National Assembly and Local government councils in Dar es Salaam. correspondent Gerald Kitabu examines the constrains faced by women towards this endeavors and recomends solutions.
The race to the National Assembly, Local Government councils and other decision making bodies has never been easy for women.
The disadvantaged position women occupy in politics in general and elections in particular are observed not only at national, regional or local level but also within their political parties.
In Tanzania, the women`s disadvantaged position in politics is reflected both in parliament and in political parties. For example, since 1961 until the first multiparty general elections in 1995, women constituted less than 10 percent of total members of parliament.
However, after multiparty system, the number of women in the house began to increase but largely through affirmative action of `special seats` allocated for women rather than through direct competition in the constituencies.
Through special seats arrangements, the number of women in the parliament increased from 37 in 1995 to 48 in 2000 and rose to 75 in 2005 while the number of women legislators who contested in the constituencies increased only marginally. Only 8, 12, and 17 were able to join the parliament in the year 1995, 2000 and 2005 respectively.
Whereas women are increasingly participating in elections as voters, only a few of them are nominated by their respective political parties as candidates. In 2005 election for example, only 5.8 percent and 13 percent of candidates for councillorship and parliamentary elections respectively were women. However, the record of women leaders and executives is not that rosy.
For stance women constitute less than 20 percent of all senior civil servants in the country. Also, only about 32 percent of the government employees are women. The rate of women`s participation as leaders in political parties is even more disappointing. For example, national chairpersons of all eighteen political parties in Tanzania are men.
The same trend is observed in Zanzibar elections. The Zanzibar house of representatives is composed of 80 members including fifty direct elected, ten presidential appointees, fifteen women special seats and five regional commissioners.
Currently, there are only eighteen women representatives in the house which is equivalent to 22.5percent.
Among these, only two were directly elected in Dole through CCM ticket and Mji Mkongwe through CUF ticket, and fifteen are special seats representatives and one is a presidential appointee. However, the situation is worse at the local level in both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
Thus there is no doubt that compared to men; women still lag far behind men in participating in politics.
So, what are the factors that hinder full women`s participation in politics and other decision making bodies in the country?
According to Professor Athumani Liviga of the University of Dar es Salaam, gender relations are conceptualized by looking at politics, economics, religion, culture and law as mutually constitutive and in turn creating inequality between men and women.
There are structural and functional constraints which are shaped by social and political relations in a society.
The nature of politics is an important factor for the inclusion or exclusion of women. The traditional view of politics restricts political activity only in public arena and the private sphere of family life is rendered as apolitical.
This public-private dichotomy is used to exclude women from public political sphere and even when women are brought into politics, they are entered as mothers and wives.
Professor Liviga observes further that male domination of politics has a male perspective on issues of national importance that disillusions women as their perspective is often ignored and not reflected in the politics of their parties.
He says the Tanzania electoral system is characterized by plurality of votes in which the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins to the exclusion of others.
Thus, this system is favourable to individuals who are visible in the community and women are not traditionally visible.
Because community leaders and other visible individuals are disproportionately male, the system tends to negatively affect women. In some cases some voters still regard women as powerless and incompetent as a result a man stand a better chance of being elected.
He also says that lack of strong women`s organizations which may provide women running for political elections with information, experience and support base is another problem.
However, limited time and preoccupation with family matters tend to discourage potential women aspirants and candidates from participating in politics and lack of political interests are other constraints faced women.
Presenting a paper on increased women participation in National Assembly and Local government councils during the conference, a veteran journalist and researcher with Dar es Salaam based Poris organization, Mr. Prince Bagenda, says lack of comprehensive plans and strategies within political parties that aimed at promoting and enhancing women participation in politics is one of the factor that demoralize many women to participate in politics.
For example, many women are just used by some political parties to ensure that men win the elections.
He says the electoral and education systems that do not favour gender equality are other obstacles towards women participation in politics.
Fore xample he says despite good plans by the government that all children should go to school, the experience shows that the number of girls begins to decline when they reach secondary schools.
He says at the moment the ratio between women and men at Universities stands at 30:70 as a result many women fail to take up high positions and end up in hospitality industry and secretarial duties. Another problem is lack of economic power.
In many African societies, women do not have access and secure rights to land something which hinders them to improve the lives of their families and themselves. This dearth makes women even more vulnerable to poverty and politics in particular.
So what should be done? According to the Minister for Community Development Gender and Children Margaret Sitta, she says since the Beijing conference Tanzania has ratified a number of International conventions on Rights of Women namely the convention on elimination of All forms of discrimination against women, the SADC gender Development and the African Union declaration on Gender equality, all of which propagate on among other things, having 50 percent women in political and decision making positions by 2010.
She says with regard to national laws, the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977 was amended in 2000 by adding under article 13(5) provisions for the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender, something which is in line with the changes taking place at the regional and international levels.
Tanzania as one of the members of the international community, further translates these obligations in to its constitution under Article 66(1) (b) which provides that women MP\'s should be at least 30 percent of the number of constituency MPs.
further stipulates that at least 5 MPs out of 10 to be nominated by the president should be women. In regard to implementation of what has been stated in the constitution, after 2005 National elections, the national Assembly has 97 women MPs out of 323 seats of the new parliament.
This is almost 33.3 percent which is 3.3 percent higher than the requirement in the SADC declaration. She says world wide, Tanzania ranks No. 17 out of 189 countries having higher number of women in parliament, Rwanda being the first followed by Sweden. She says this position portrays that Tanzania is among countries that have demonstrated commitment to women empowerment.
Professor Liviga says in order to increase women`s participation in politics; the government and political parties should take practical measures to empower women in terms of education, training and awareness creation especially in terms of civic and voter education campaigns to understand their political rights and responsibilities.
Other measures should include changes in attitude and perceptions, empowering women`s economic status, Affirmative action within political parties to encourage them to participate fully in politics, adopting a form of proportional representation electoral system and setting up strong women organizations that works hard to sensitize women on the need to participate in politics, train them in campaign skills, public speaking and communication skills as well as to set up a campaign support fund for women candidates.
Of all the suggestions to increase women participation in politics and other decision making bodies, confidence and courage to tackle male counterpart after attaining the necessary qualifications is vital.
Those who are in the parliament for special seats, they should strive to go and contest in constituencies.
Those still in schools and Universities should aspire to contest any position in a political party regardless of lack of experience because experience can be acquired in the course of time. Women should love each other.
When it comes to elections for example, all women should vote for their fellow women into power. John W. Gadner once wrote, the world is moved by highly motivated people who believe very strongly or who want something very much, no venture succeeds without strongly motivated people, it is high time all women in Tanzania united and highly motivated to join politics so that the concept of democracy could assume true and dynamic significance.
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