Zimbabwe's female politicians pin hopes on polls
Source: The Guardian
In July’s crucial election – the first since the fall of Mugabe – women hope to deliver a decisive blow against sexism.
Women in Zimbabwe are hoping for a political breakthrough in the forthcoming elections, despite a “hostile atmosphere” and “resistance” from male politicians.
The election next month will be the first since the fall of Robert Mugabe, the 94-year-old who ruled for almost four decades, and is one of the most important in the country’s turbulent history.
The contest pits Zanu-PF, the ruling party since 1980, against the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Both are led by men, the former by 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power when his sacking by Mugabe in November led to a military takeover, and the latter by Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and preacher.
So far, any major increase in the representation of women in parliament looks unlikely. Only one in 10 Zanu-PF candidates and around one in seven opposition candidates are female. Women are also notably absent from the top ranks of both parties.
Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 20 June 2018.
In July’s crucial election – the first since the fall of Mugabe – women hope to deliver a decisive blow against sexism.
Women in Zimbabwe are hoping for a political breakthrough in the forthcoming elections, despite a “hostile atmosphere” and “resistance” from male politicians.
The election next month will be the first since the fall of Robert Mugabe, the 94-year-old who ruled for almost four decades, and is one of the most important in the country’s turbulent history.
The contest pits Zanu-PF, the ruling party since 1980, against the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Both are led by men, the former by 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power when his sacking by Mugabe in November led to a military takeover, and the latter by Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and preacher.
So far, any major increase in the representation of women in parliament looks unlikely. Only one in 10 Zanu-PF candidates and around one in seven opposition candidates are female. Women are also notably absent from the top ranks of both parties.
Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 20 June 2018.