Issued by: Communication and Information (GCIS)
Gender activists keeping a close watch on cabinet.
The number of women in South Africa's parliament appears set to increase to within a fraction of the "psychologically all-important" one-third mark. According to calculations, done by the Electoral Institute of South Africa (EISA), when the final lists come in the percentage of women at national and regional level is likely to be close on thirty percent up from twenty seven percent in the previous parliament. If so then South Africa will be one of the few countries in the world to be within a whisker of the "critical mass" of the one third representation of women in parliament. This achievement is due in large measure to the ANC's one-third quota and to the snowball effect this has had on other political parties.
According to Julie Ballington of EISA, most of the women MP's were elected on an ANC ticket. The ANC had a relatively high representation of women on its lists and was the only party to implement a gender quota ensuring that at least one third of its candidates were women. This means that an estimated 97 out 266 seats will go to women from the ANC. The next highest representation of women in office is the African Christian Democratic Party with an estimated 29% of women representation on its national list. According to information by the ACDP's Parliamentary Office, two of the six seats held by the ACDP will go to women. The PAC yesterday confirmed that a woman would hold one of its three seats in parliament.
Although the final figures will still be far short of gender parity the CGE welcomes the positive trend toward this objective. According to CGE chairperson, Joyce Piliso Seroke, the elections have sent a strong signal that our democracy is not yet complete until men and women are equally represented in our corridors of power. "We shall be keeping a close eye on the new cabinet soon to be announced with regard both to the proportion of women and the portfolios to which they are assigned" said Seroke.
INCOMING GOVERNMENT
The CGE is pleased that President in waiting Thabo Mbeki, in his victory speech at Gallagher Estates last week, acknowledged that the women of our country have mandate the ANC to "continue with the struggle for their (women's) upliftment and emancipation". Mbeki also noted that the ANC had been directed to improve the safety and security of women, among other "vulnerable" groups in South Africa.
The commission urges the new government to take their mandate to the women of this country seriously. The CGE believes that particular attention should be paid to the issues of poverty, violence and HIV/AIDS especially as they impact on the women of South Africa.
The government should use all means at its disposal to reduce the unacceptable levels of violence against women. This includes effective implementation of the Domestic Violence officers, police etc. In addition this government needs to deliver a strong message to society that violence against women is a criminal act.
Another challenge for government will be to ensure that sufficient resources are committed to the implementation of the new maintenance act to ensure that women are able to use the legal system to obtain maintenance for themselves and their children. The CGE looks forward to a continued process of transforming customary law to ensure that it no longer discriminates against women.
GENDER REVIEW OF ELECTIONS 99
The CGE plans to release a comprehensive review of elections 99 from a gender perspective later this month. The review will include an assessment of: media coverage of issues around the elections, voter education material, party lists & manifesto's, voter registration, representation of women elected and observation of the poll on June 2nd.
For more information please contact Kubeshni Govender on 083-273-8428 or (011) 403-7182
Or call Julie Ballington at the Electoral Institute of South Africa on (011) 482-5495
14 June 1999