Key Points from a Women’s Political Participation Perspective
Elections are about power and women in politics have limited political power in comparison to their male counterparts in politics. In order to ensure that women have the right to equal opportunities in the political sphere, women need the Electoral Amendment Bill to;
- Entrench the Constitution's Section 17 principles of gender equality in women’s political participation.
- Make gender equality a feature of our electoral system not a once-off activity.
- Candidates Lists of Political Parties
- Bill must clearly state the gender equality provisions by expressly stating party candidate lists must include women with no less than at least 30% or third name of every list to be a woman.
- Nomination Process – “Office Bearers”
- Bill needs to ensure that “Office Bearers” include the leadership of Women’s Wings/Assemblies so that leaders of women’s wings are also able to Sign nomination papers and candidate lists.
- Right to Vote – “Every Citizen”
- Bill must clearly state the class of voters - bill must breakdown who is “Every Citizen” and women’s right to vote must be expressly protected.
- Registration of Voters
- Registration of Voters has now been moved to ZEC – Bill needs to ensure that Voter Registration Process does not disenfranchise women.
