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A consortium of three non-governmental organisations has released a circular identifying key legal and policy gaps constraining women’s participation in political and democratic leadership in the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar.
A consortium of three non-governmental organisations has released a circular identifying key legal and policy gaps constraining women’s participation in political and democratic leadership in the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar.
The circular comes at a time when Tanzania and Zanzibar are preparing for general elections due to take place in 2025, where people will have the chance to vote for councillors, members of parliament, members of the House of Representatives (Zanzibar), and presidents. Women are unfairly represented in political and democratic leadership in Zanzibar, representing only 38 per cent of the House of Representatives.
In their circular, the organisations highlight laws, policies and cultural practices that constrain women’s participation in political and democratic leadership in Zanzibar, which they consider to violate the country’s Constitution, demanding immediate reforms ahead of the 2025 elections.
The laws include the Political Parties Act CAP 258 R.E 2002, which the organisations think has not given women and PWDs any consideration. The act does not establish quota systems for political parties nor redress violence against women in politics, the organisations charge.
They decry the Kadhi’s Court Act No.9 of 2017, which they have criticised for embracing “patriarchy” by not allowing a woman to head the institution that is primarily responsible for enforcing limited rights for Muslims.
They also criticise the Zanzibar Civil Status Regulation Agency Act No. 3 of 2018, which, like the Kadhi’s Cort Act, has effectively excluded the fate of Muslim women from civil law.
The three organisations have criticised the Zanzibar Elections Act No.4 of 2018 for failing to protect women against abusive remarks during elections. According to the organisations, the law has not considered materials needed for PWDs for their voting comfort.
The activists also take issue with the Civil Servants (Participation in Politics) Act No.3 of 2003, the Youth Council Act No.16 of 2013 and the Zanzibar Local Government Authority Act No. 7 of 2014 for contributing to undermining women’s participation in political leadership in Zanzibar.
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The organisations also criticise the culture of “misogyny, sexism and patriarchy within institutions,” which they believe impacts women’s readiness to partake in public life.
They issue several recommendations to address the issue, which include amending all laws and policies undermining women’s participation in political and democratic leadership they have pointed out in their circular.
