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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
WOMEN in politics have been urged to stop being content with just proportional representation in Parliament, but to vie for equal opportunities that allow them to be more efficient and effective.

In an interview with The Herald recently, MDC-T Women’s Assembly leader Lynnette Karenyi said there was more that female legislators could offer the electorate than they were doing under the shadows of their male counterparts.

She said women should not be content with the proportional representation quota, as it would leave most of them out of the political arena when it comes to an end in 2022.

“To me, proportional representation is just a short-term solution to the real issue of upping female representation in Parliament,” she said. “I think when we did the Constitution, we did not think about this very well as women because our male counterparts now think that we have been rewarded already with the six proportional representation seats in each province.

“I strongly feel that it’s a short-term measure and there is no gender equality in that.”

The proportional representation quota under the Constitution provides for the reservation of 60 seats in the National Assembly for women.

Ms Karenyi said women should have lobbied to have proportional representation as a permanent feature in the Constitution or advocated for a better deal that pushed for equal opportunities in Parliament.

She, however, said the Constitution still provided for a 50-50 gender parity ratio that could give women leverage into Parliament after 2022.

“Manicaland has 26 constituencies and I think as women, we can get more seats in Parliament in the future,” she said.

Ms Karenyi was denied the opportunity to stand in the Chikanga-Dangamvura constituency by the MDC Alliance who fielded outgoing Musikavanhu legislator Mr Prosper Mutseyami a despite widespread protests from members.

She will now represent the opposition party on a proportional representation ticket.

“Being the national chairperson, (Women’s Assembly) I thought it was going to be good for me to contest for a National Assembly seat so that I show the world that women can also be good without going for proportional representation,” she said.

“I wanted to send a message across that I can do it. At the end of the day, I believe I succeeded in doing that and I hope other women will take this up in the next election.

“I will campaign to get more women in Parliament. I will look beyond my political ambition and continue to fight to get more women in Parliament because they can do it. Women are less corrupt, they are non-violent and they can do anything that men can do if they set their minds to it.”