Call For ‘Zebra-Style’ Lists: Open Letter To Political Parties

THE Namibian Women’s Manifesto Network, representing more than 40 non-governmental organisations as well as women’s groups in more than 30 towns and villages across Namibia, hereby calls on all political parties to put forward gender balanced zebra-style candidate lists for the forthcoming National Assembly elections, to field an equal number of women and men candidates for the forthcoming Regional Council elections, to mobilise communities to vote for women candidates in the regional elections, and to ensure that the concerns of women and children are addressed in their party manifestos and voter education for these elections.

In doing so, political parties will be fulfilling the promises our government has made to women in our National Gender Policy, which calls for gender balance at all levels of government by 2003! Political parties will also be acting in accordance with the wishes of the vast majority of our people, as indicated in a research study of 2003, in which 81% of respondents agreed that it is important for a country like Namibia to have equal numbers of women and men as candidates in elections. Namibia is close to gender parity at the local government level, with 43% women elected into local councils in May this year.However, at the regional level, there are currently only 4% women in the Regional Councils.96% of our regional councillors are men! With growing decentralisation, political parties must ensure that women’s voices are heard equally to the voices of men in regional government.Political parties must start their internal “vote for a woman” campaign now.And they must educate the electorate to vote for women candidates in the regional elections, if we are to achieve “at least 30% women at all levels of government by 2005”, as our government promised to do in signing the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development.At the national level, women’s representation in the National Assembly is now almost 30%.The time has come to prove our commitment to true gender equality and gender justice by achieving gender balance in the forthcoming elections.The Namibian Women’s Manifesto Network will work hard in the coming months to educate the electorate to vote for parties who show serious commitment to gender equality and women’s concerns in all the aspects mentioned above.Liz Frank Namibia Women’s Manifesto NetworkNamibia is close to gender parity at the local government level, with 43% women elected into local councils in May this year.However, at the regional level, there are currently only 4% women in the Regional Councils.96% of our regional councillors are men! With growing decentralisation, political parties must ensure that women’s voices are heard equally to the voices of men in regional government.Political parties must start their internal “vote for a woman” campaign now.And they must educate the electorate to vote for women candidates in the regional elections, if we are to achieve “at least 30% women at all levels of government by 2005”, as our government promised to do in signing the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development.At the national level, women’s representation in the National Assembly is now almost 30%.The time has come to prove our commitment to true gender equality and gender justice by achieving gender balance in the forthcoming elections.The Namibian Women’s Manifesto Network will work hard in the coming months to educate the electorate to vote for parties who show serious commitment to gender equality and women’s concerns in all the aspects mentioned above.Liz Frank Namibia Women’s Manifesto Network