Abstract:
In 2013 Zimbabwe adopted a gender quota system for the
National Assembly. However, the quota system is set at 30 per cent,
contrary to international law obligations domesticated under section
17 of the 2013 Zimbabwean Constitution, which requires women to
constitute at least half of all elected and nominated positions of power.
While the Constitution further allows women to compete for first-past-
the-post (FPTP) parliamentary seats, there are neither constitutional
measures to ensure that women win FPTP seats, nor mechanisms to
transition women from quota seats to FPTP seats. While the gender
quota and FPTP constituency seats have increased the number of women
in Parliament, they have decreased the number of women nominated
and elected for FPTP seats. The quota parliamentarians are not voted
by the electorate, lack a link to constituencies, and are not entitled
to constituency funds. Each political party applies discretion in the
nomination of women for quota seats, exposing them to exploitation and
corruption. This negatively affects the quality of quota parliamentarians
and, in turn, their transition to constituency seats. The article suggests
that Zimbabwe extend the proportional representation electoral
system and Zebra system applicable in the election of senators to the election of members of parliament. This will facilitate the alignment of
Zimbabwe’s political representation gender equality commitments with
its constitutional and international law obligations.
