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Daisy Jeremani Gender Editor
THE government should ensure that men and women are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of the State at every level, after a recent research showed that of the 86 parastatals only three boards are headed by women.

Moving a motion for equal gender and regional representation for parastatals boards, MDC MP, Priscila Misihairabwi-Mushonga said the State should take action including legislative measures so that women constitute at least half the membership of all commissions and other elective and appointed bodies established under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament.

Section 18 of the Constitution and its provisions on fair regional representation states specifically in Clause (i) that ‘the state must promote the fair representation of all Zimbabweans in all institutions and agencies of government at every level, she said.

Section 17 of the Constitution also speaks about gender equality and that more needs to be done to make sure that for all the institutions, they have fair regional representation and fair gender representation.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said she asked the Parliament’s research department to do a research in all the country’s 86 parastatals.

“So I was able to get for each parastatal, who is sitting on that particular board, who is chairing that board and to understand where these people are also coming from.

“The picture is very worrying and let me start with the picture around women. None of the 86 parastatals have complied with the issue around gender equity, absolutely none,” she moaned.

She singled out NetOne as one company with an interesting set up.

“This parastatal has a total six women as board members, among them Dorothy Mapimhidze, Nancy Samuriwo, Thandiwe Mlobane and Georgina Chingonzo, but is chaired by a man, Alex Marufu.

“So, you literally have these amazing women together, but the message that you’re sending in this particular instance is that yes, you can be good women, you can sit in as members of the parastatal’s board but you can’t chair. You’re unable to chair; therefore, they give them a man….”

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said the only areas with female board chair were a company called Chitungwiza Garment Factory where Otilia Mlambo heads.

“So anything that is critical in CMED, NetOne and TelOne, those things that are the engine of the economy, you don’t think that a woman can handle that?” she quizzed.

The MP said another ‘insignificant’ company whose board was headed by a woman was National Handling Services of Zimbabwe.

“Somebody has to tell me what parastatal that is?” she said.

““I guess that little corner at the airport. That’s another that they’ve also given to a woman. So, there are only three that are chaired by women.”