women representation in National Assembly falls to 38%
● Eino Vatileni
The Southern African Development Communities Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) has proposed the immediate establishment of a National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.
The call was made by the forum secretary general Boemo Sekgoma at the capacity building workshop for women in politics and decision-making at Swakopmund on Wednesday.Sekgoma said women who are in parliament must use the power they have, not as a possession, but as a platform to raise other women.
“It is in this spirit that I wish to propose the immediate establishment of a National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, a dynamic, cross-party platform that can serve multiple purposes,” Sekgoma said.
According to her, the caucus will amplify the voices of women and girls in every corner of the country.
“It can support the President, and the Speaker in delivering inclusive governance. Further,it can become an engine for legislative activism, public outreach, policy development, and strategic oversight that is unapologetically gender responsive,” She said.
She added that women in politics still face resistance, scrutiny, and stereotyping that their male counterparts are spared.
“But this can be overcome, not by silence, but by solidarity. Not by retreat, but by relentless engagement. Patriarchy must be defeated as there is no place for patriarchy in a constitutional democracy,” she advised.
She added, “If we are to believe in the Constitution and on the principle of equality between men and women, then patriarchy must be made to disappear in the political sphere, then we must have equality of status in politics, employment or any other sphere of life,”.
IN SUPPORT
Supporting her sentiments, speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said she looks forward to the establishment of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the caucus will serve as a platform where women can continuously develop skills individually and collectively and coordinate efforts to influence the legislative processes where women, children and family issues are taken care of progressively.
The speaker said Currently, women in parliament are benefiting from efforts in empowering women at different regional and international parliamentary fora such as SADC PF, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPA).
