Local Government Elections- Political Party dialogue on Gender

On behalf of IEC, the big boss herself, Adv Pantsy Tlakula, IEC CEO was present to give statistics on women participation on previous elections. A key concern to her was that women are usually at the bottom of party lists, therefore when there’s a vacant position; men are the ones who get the replacement seat in the by-election. Tamzin Hudson of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) stated that women’s participation in politics is important as it is the cornerstone to development. “Empowerment leads to responsive government” said Hudson.

A look at the 2009 national election, Commissioner Janine Hicks of CGE noted that there was little reference to participation of women in leadership positions, it was only the ANC that adopted the 50:50 quota system. Basically, reference to gender equality was very vague. CGE has requested that the IEC requests parties to submit gender disaggregated lists of party candidates.

The CGE posed five questions to six key political parties; that is ACDP, ANC, COPE, IFP, UDM and DA of which the panel discussion was based on. The questions were as follows:

1. Please respond to presentation on CGE research findings regarding party lists and gender mainstreaming of party manifestos and Municipal Intergrated Plans (IDPs)
2. In light of the 2008 SADC Protocal on Gender and Development which has a stated commitment to ensure a 50% target for women in decision making by 2015, what measures has your party taken to ensure that the target will be met, and how has your party reflected this imperative in your party’s constitution?
3. What support mechanism (training, mentoring programmes) does your party have in place to promote women into decision-making or leadership positions?
4. What measures have been developed by your party to encourage, support and ensure representation of young women, and women with disabilities in particular?
5. What programmes does your party have in place to respond to issues that disproportiotely impact women? Specifically: women in rural communities, in poverty, unemployed, affected by GBV and health policies that support reproductive health?

Political Party responses

ACDP: “committed to promoting fair gender representation in South African society and government structures. ACDP actively recruit female candidates on all structures and electoral list will continue to do so in future. LGE top five, 45% are women representatives. The party engages women’s issues through the party’s women’s wing called Women of Destiny, represented at all levels of party structures. NEC is leading the way in women empowerment with 51% of its members being women. The party has decided to start at the top so that structures at the bottom should follow suite. The party think that in some cases quotas can restrict achievement. Further, ACDP believes in empowering women from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and acknowledges right of women as equal to men. To the ACDP disabled does not mean unable. They also encourage skills to become women farmers. In terms of GBV, pornography is dehumanisation.

ANC: The party is committed to gender equality, acknowledges that in the IDPs, this has not shown as it should from CGE presentation, but will take it into account in future. ANC understands that Gender equality has to start with the struggle against patriarchy because it is patriarchy that tells us that women are not capable, it’s only men that are capable. Gender consciousness is needed to deal with the issue effectively because it doesn’t mean that having a woman leader it follows that she will be gender sensitive. The ANC has 50% on its constitution and follows its quotas. They believe that there are lot of capable women in the country which is was the main focus is on the quota. The ANC has a young women’s desk where young people can learn about the organisation, politics and government. Disabled people are also represented in parliament. The party is advocating for solar energy for rural development, assist the elderly by providing social grants, advocate for one-stop centres for victims of GBV, have Thuthuzela centres that provide counselling for women.

COPE: The focus is on ensuring that they have as many women representatives in LCE. Skills development of women is important to ensure that they have women representation as the requirements of politicians are much high in local government. We need to skill women to ensure that we empower them, so that when we have these women, they are able to perform. COPE believes that the quotas is important, it is not a target but it is actually where we begin from. The party thinks that the ruling party should be responsible to have women work together instead of working as women in different political parties. The party has youth and student movements which have young women. COPE acknowledges that rural women are challenged by lack of information therefore women empowerment is vital. Women need information to know what to do.

IFP: IFP women’s brigade equips women with necessary skills so that they just don’t go into position because of the 50:50 but are able to perform. The issues that we may have, that can lead us to not achieving what is states in the SADC protocol are issues of the Identification of women, sharing information, funding by different political parties. IFP believes that women are people that rock the cradles, are people that understand poverty, people who understand. In terms of programmes to support women, the IFP has desks in each province. The youth brigade has programmes for disabled and young people. IFP believes that women in vulnerable communities need to be informed or empowered. The party champions for self-help programmes.

UDM: A challenge of funding is an issue to smaller parties to capacitate women. But party representation of women has grown from 22% to 40%. UDM believes that the 50:50 should not only be on the lists, it must start in all structures. All structures of UDM must reflect that women are there, and are the ones leading. It is difficult to run programmes when one doesn’t have funding.

DA: vision is to promote women’s participation in public life, promote a healthy culture of recognition of women’s right as women’s right, and oppose VAW whenever possible. Encourages women from party’s Women’s Network to participate in economic, social and women empowerment programmes. DA believes in “fit-for-a-purpose”, they do not appoint candidates simply because she is a woman; they want people who are qualified to do the work. In the DA, public representatives adopt a young girl to mentor for a period of five years. The party also empowers women to know that it’s their right to report non-supporting fathers for child maintenance. Young girl members of the party participate in door-to-door canvassing. Social and economic development of women encourages women to register companies. The party also has Victim Empowerment Centres for women which helps build up women’s self-esteem.

Key quotes that came out of the dialogue

“The emancipation of women is not the work of women alone but men too. It is important for both men and women to understand gender issues” Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Home Affairs minister representing ANC.

“ if you want something done, give it to a woman, if you want something said, give it to a men” ACDP representative quoting Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the UK in the 1980s.