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Political
Parties Blasted Over Gender Equity
October 14, 2004 -(New Era -Windhoek) Political parties stand accused
of failing to implement gender equity that would balance the scales
of power and result in more women parliamentarians.
The Coordinator at Namibian Women's Manifesto Network, Liz Frank,
says both ruling and opposition political parties have not ratified
conventions that would result in more women being represented on the
political front.
Frank, who is also a manager at Sister Namibia says it is shocking
that political parties released their parliamentary party lists with
only men dominating the first top 10 positions. She said with the
ruling Swapo Party, only a single woman was nominated among the top
10. "We wonder why Government bothers to adopt a National Gender
Policy or to ratify regional and international agreements for women's
empowerment such as the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development
or the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa," she complained.
According to the lists of nine political parties as published in the
media this week, the UDF made a positive move by appointing six women
on its list and the CoD appointed four women among the top 10. Other
political parties, namely the DTA, NMDC and SWANU and the Republican
Party have two women on their lists, while the ruling party and NUDO
have only one woman in the top 10.
"We congratulate those opposition parties who did include women
candidates substantially and towards the top of their lists,"
said Frank.
She was adamant that her organisation would continue to call on the
electorate to vote for parties that actively promote gender balance
in elected positions of Government and that address the major concerns
of women in their election manifestos.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party's Carola Engel-brecht says her party
has only two women and it does not mean this would undermine the regional
and international policy and conventions on women empowerment and
gender equality. She added that her party believes in the empowerment
of women and it is also part and parcel of the campaign against violence
on women and on children.
Hilma Nikanor, Swapo Party's Women Council spokesperson, said the
fact that Saara Kuugongelwa Amadhila is the only woman among the top
10 is not a concern to the women's wing. She noted that there are
enough women nominated on the party's list, adding that
President Sam Nujoma has chosen six women on the list of 10 that is
accorded to him. "We are happy that the party continues to appoint
women in strategic positions both in Government and at regional and
local authorities," she said.
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