Elections

When Maude Taruvinga* votes in Zimbabwe’s elections later this year, she will be voting for her local female politician as she has placed her hopes for a better future on the presence of more women in this southern African nation’s legislature.

In January 2012, Taruvinga became a victim of Zimbabwe’s patriarchal traditions when her in-laws forced her out of her matrimonial home in Marondera, Mashonaland East Province, after her common-law husband passed away intestate.

Newly elected Pakistani National Assembly is effectively in place. The Prime Minister has taken oath of his office; the most interesting feature of this new assembly is the group of women on reserved seats. The idea was introduced by former dictator, General Musharraf apparently to give adequate representation to women, in this male dominated Pakistani society. It was to encourage 52 percent of Pakistani population to have their input in law making, particularly in matters pertaining to women.

Ahead of a tripartite elections next year the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has shown the world that it is moving with time by setting a deliberate policy to allow women in the country pay 25 per cent less the  nomination fees of parliamentary and local government elections.

The female aspirants, Newstime Africa understands, will pay K 150,000.00 only for the parliamentary race while those going for the ward councillorship will cough K 15,000.00 only.

ZAMBIA National Women's Lobby says it is saddened by the decreasing number of women holding high positions at local government level.
In an interview after opening a stakeholders meeting on women in politics project inception in Choma yesterday, Zambia National Women's Lobby executive director Juliet Chibuta said her organisation was focusing on local government because that was the area where women could easily ascend to decision-making positions.

A useful workshop aimed at generating an understanding in the media of Haiti’s women’s quota was held on 13 June in Port au Prince.

The workshop was arranged jointly by International IDEA and the Haitian committee charged with the implementation of the 30% quota for women that was incorporated into the Amended 1987 Constitution (Article 17.1).

The distribution of reserved seats for women in the National Assembly to wives, daughters, or relatives of top party stalwarts while ignoring women at the grass-roots level, has badly tarnished the image of major political parties.

President Uhuru Kenyatta's 26 nominations for principal secretary positions only include seven women, prompting criticism for failing to meet the constitutionally mandated one-third quota for female nominees, Kenya's Daily Nation reported Saturday (June