PARTIES in the inclusive government are planning to have more women in parliament in order to ensure gender parity in the legislative assembly.
Though in principle the idea is noble, what boggles the mind is that the parties think they can only achieve gender parity by increasing the number of MPs.
Figures revealed last week show that up 90 more seats could be created in Parliament, pushing the number of legislators to a whopping 300 members. The government, already struggling to meet the demands of the current 210 seats, has no resources to finance the needs of more MPs.
More worryingly, these MPs don’t need to drop a sweat to be in Parliament as they will be appointed by leaders of political parties.
In the case of Zanu PF, it will be President Mugabe who will appoint his party’s MPs. Other principals will also do the same, meaning those who get into Parliament would most probably merely be protégés selected for their unwavering loyalty to their political masters.
Mugabe has in the past rewarded loyal chiefs by appointing them into Parliament. That way, he managed to create a group of unelected legislators that only served his interests. The 90 MPs that could join Parliament are likely to serve the same purpose.
Clearly, such a political arrangement would not work in the best interest for Zimbabweans, who are still fighting dictatorial tendencies. What they need is a Parliament that is responsive to their needs not those of their political grandmasters.
While women are evidently disadvantaged in the Zimbabwean society, parties should seek to create conditions that allow for fair competition between men and women. Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe and Vice-President Joice Mujuru, among others, show women can succeed against all the odds in politics.
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Where women are clearly disadvantaged, parties can reserve constituencies for women as Zanu PF has done in the past. Parliament can also create laws that allow for gender equality.
Hoping to solve the problem by increasing the number of MPs is a wrong recipe for a country struggling with a bloated wage bill.
