ECZ urged to introduce quota system for female MPs

ECZ urged to introduce quota system  for female MPs

Mkushi, Sept 17, 2014, ZANIS—A member of the Shaibila Royal Establishment in Mkushi district has called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to seriously consider introducing a quota system to increase the number of women in parliament.

Princess Doreen Mwape told ZANIS in Mkushi today that there was need for the nation to experiment with a system in which a number of constituencies would be reserved for women candidates to compete amongst themselves.

She explained that under such a system each political party would float a female candidate to compete in the parliamentary polls adding that women were generally disadvantaged when competing against male candidates.

She defended her appeal saying that the system was yielding results in neighbouring Rwanda as that country had recorded an increased number of women MPs(members of Parliament) since adopting the selection  quota.

Princess Mwape however commended political parties for fielded female candidates in the September 11 parliamentary by-elections.

She maintained that there was need for the ECZ to consider experimenting with the system of reserving some constituencies for women to compete amongst themselves.

She pointed out that such a format could be introduced side by side with the on-going delimitation of constituencies.

ZANIS / CM /CSB/ENDS————- DRY.