BY EVANS MATHANDA Female politicians have expressed concern over continued sexual harassment by male politicians in the political spaces ahead of the 2023 harmonised election.
In an interview with NewsDay at the Institute for Young Womenโs Development (IYWD) election sensitisation workshop, under the banner #VoteRunLeadReloaded Citizens Coalition for Change Vice-president, Lynette Karenyi-Kore, said laws should be designed in a way that protect women in politics.
๐ด#๐๐๐ฐ #๐๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ"๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ"- @karenyikore#VoteRunLeadReloaded @YoungWomenInst @JoanaMamombe @ceechimbiri2 pic.twitter.com/W6oBZGS0Bp
— NewsDay Zimbabwe (@NewsDayZimbabwe) March 31, 2022
“The laws of this country are not protecting women in politics against sexual harassment. The is also sexual abuse in Parliament and if the Parliament of Zimbabwe can even cover men who abuse women, what about those who are not in Parliament. Its a clear sign that the laws of this country are not good for the women,” Kore added.
โI represent women out there and my presence at this IYWD workshop is encouraging other women to stand up and fight for our space, but I have realised that if we do not say this out, most of the women canโt stand up and speak,โ she said.
๐ด#VoteRunLeadReloaded official launch@YoungWomenInst @namataik_ #WhatWomenWant #VoteRunLeadReloaded @euinzim @hivosrosa @HivosWiL @IrlEmbPretoria @KarenyiKore @TatendMavetera pic.twitter.com/fc3lm5nlYp
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— NewsDay Zimbabwe (@NewsDayZimbabwe) March 31, 2022
Zanu PF legislator Tatenda Mavetera urged women to contest for political positions without being victims of sextortion.
โAs female politicians, we should be bold enough to say no to sexual harassment because being in politics is our right and no one is dong us a favor, i am a very beautiful woman but i am not in politics for men. Very few relationships that can last longer in politics,โ Mavetera said.
However, Mp for Harare West Joanna Mamombe bemoaned the perpetuated patriarchal ideologies that affects women at all levels.
#VoteRunLeadReloaded official launchโZimbabweans have made Twitter toxic and cyberbullying on Twitter is another form of violence that is now a major threat to womenโs participation in politics,โ- Ellen Dingani @ZESN1 programmes director@euinzim @hivosrosa @HivosWiL pic.twitter.com/kBeba9rmJu
— NewsDay Zimbabwe (@NewsDayZimbabwe) March 31, 2022
โOur male counterparts should treat us with respect, because we are mothers and MPs. We should feel free to stand up and debate without being given names. I think it is the patriarchal culture that we should deal with and not only in politics but in all spheres of society women are abused. I would like to thank IYWD for giving us this platform to interact,” Mamombe said.
The same issue was raised in 2018 by then (MDC Alliance) female legislators who complained before the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda over sexual harassment in the House by Zanu PF legislators Tafanana Zhou (Mberengwa North) and John Paradza (Gutu West).
- Follow Evans on Twitter @EvansMathanda19
