Promoting women’s participation on leadership and decision making positions

Lesotho Democracy Programme held a two day workshop (29 th-30 th April 2008) for women from various sectors such as Parliament both Senate and National Assembly, women in political parties, women in churches, CBOs such support group and counselling groups, NGOs, media representatives journalist, presenters and researchers, Gender Ministry and Public Service and National University of Lesotho. The workshop was meant to constitute a forum where marginalised groups including women are brought in the mainstream of democracy in Lesotho. The emphasis was on how women can be capacitated in participating in political leadership and decision making positions. Expectation after the workshop was women would have been furnished with necessary skills, motivation, sufficient training, family and society support and self confidence to tackle issues of leadership in political arenas and decision making positions.

Topics discussed were the following:

• Status of women in Lesotho and prospects for political participation in decision making.
• Gender transformation in politics-local government and domestic political economies. (Male dominance and cultural constraints: obstacles and solutions)
• Recognition and empowerment of women to transfer their capabilities to highest levels in parliament.

It was learned that in Lesotho women constitute a significant proportion of the population as well as the electorate. However, Basotho are patriarchal society hence the recognised and accepted male dominance of ownership and control which in turn operates and maintains a system of gender discrimination. The system believes in male superiority and deliberate effort is made by society to get everybody to accept men make decisions for the benefit of all and all facets of life including social, political and legal matters. Further, the patriarchal system states that power relations between men and women are underlined by the socio-cultural and institutionalised legal norms that place of women in the position of perpetual minors. Women in Lesotho were accepted in politics and allowed to vote in the 1960s. Since then there has been slow progress which was apparent in 1998 and 2002 elections where women occupied small numbers in parliament despite women higher education attainment and declarations signed by Lesotho to enhance women participation in parliament and decision making position. Changing political situation in Lesotho remains a challenge, which if ever overcome, it will bring a tremendous transformation in the power relations between women and men in the country. However, women have always been powerful in rural development projects and capacitated and empowered to success in politics, and should transfer their leadership skills to high national positions. The 58% of women in Local government is an achievement and a starting point of women empowerment in Lesotho.

Nonetheless, gender stereotype that politics is the domain of women still persists and discourages women from taking an active role in this arena. Other reasons inhibiting women’s participation in politics include:

• Their lack of hands-on experience in politics
• The entrenched socio-cultural belie that a woman’s rightful place is in the home
• The general lo status accorded women in society
• The existence of a legal framework which is discriminatory to women
• Inadequate institutional mechanism for advancing the status of women
• Women not being sensitive to the fact that they have to be in leadership structures and processes
• The low self-esteem women have of themselves
• Lack of political commitment, conscious and goodwill
• The hostile atmosphere in which political activity is conducted and within poetical parties themselves
• The low economic status and lack of financial means that make it difficult for women to compete for political position
• The party ownership syndrome and patronage
• The women’s wings in political parties are male creations. They do not seem to have a clear empowerment agenda for women

To conclude the women concurred on recommendations and way forward. However, it is apparent that there is a need to domesticate the system to harmonise it with what Basotho know and do best as people. In addition positive involvement of Basotho women remains a challenge because the country largest human resource is not fully utilised. Recommendations thus state:

• There is a need to develop and see through an intensive programme of civic education for the citizenry – men and women alike. Similar programmes should be developed for inclusion in the school curriculum at various levels. Appropriate non-formal initiatives should equally be mounted to reach the out of school population. Voter education provided so ably by the IEC in preparation for elections is not enough.
• Special sustainable empowerment programmes targeting both men and women to enhance their competence are needed.
• Political parties owe it to the public to provide political education so that people understand what is going on and not only see the leadership when elections are just round the corner asking to be voted into power.
• The technocrats and the intelligentsia of this country should feel it their duty to give politicians and the national leadership at all levels genuine positive advice.
• Criteria more comprehensive than mere basic literacy has to be worked out for one to qualify to stand as a candidate for general elections. Members of parliament should be able to read parliamentary documents with the level of competence that allows them to understand analyse and critique issues for the good of beneficial parliamentary debates and decisions. The Constitution would need to be accordingly reviewed. Our chiefs should equally demonstrate willingness to get educated.
• Review the National Gender and Development Policy to ensure its compliance with the Legal capacity of Married Person’s Act provisions that target economic status of women.
• The calibre of the candidates fielded should be such that it lives up to the challenges of attaining substantive democracy.
• There is need for time frame for affirmative action so that it is clear that the trend is not intended to be sustained forever.

The women’s wings within political parties must be given clear mandates to mobilize women for assuming active roles in politics; and they should be seen to be working collaboratively across political and religious divides.

<<< Back to News