Faith Duri
Masvingo City Council Deputy Mayor Daniel Mberikunashe has urged women to support each other in politics and other positions of influence saying they constituted a bigger number of the population and if they support each other it’s easy for them to get in positions.
Mberikunashe was speaking at a workshop organized by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists on September 21, 2023 at Mucheke Hall where residents were given a platform to share their expectations from the new elected leadership.
“Women do not support each other and if it wasn’t of the fact that some councilors got in through women’s quota, we would have only two female councilors at Masvingo City.
‘There is a lot of discrimination and marginalization of women at different levels of politics but it’s worse amongst women themselves because they think that politics is a ‘boys’ game only that’s why they are failing to support each other ,’ said Mberikunashe.
Women participation in politics is still very low as evidenced by the number of women who won in council and parliament through ballot in 2023 elections which is lower than 2018.
The introduction of quota system to include women into council and parliament through proportional representation was meant to increase women representation but it’s still not enough.