FINALLY, WOMEN WILL HAVE A VOICE IN PARLY

MBABANE – It’s been a long hard fought battle for women but finally there is light at the end of the tunnel for them.

Finally, they will get to be fully represented in Parliament as per the Constitution as government is working on a Bill that will make this possible.
Though still in its early stages, women already have reason to look forward to the upcoming elections.

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) are currently engaging different stakeholders to discuss the proposed bill to be known as the Election of Women Members to the House of Assembly Bill of 2017.

marked

As part of their engagement, the acting Attorney General, Sifiso Khumalo, presented the Bill to stakeholders at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha on Thursday. This marked the start of the consultation exercise.
Since the adoption of the Constitution in 2005, women representation in Parliament has never reached the required 30 per cent of the total membership. 

Section 86(2) of the Constitution explains that the House shall form itself into an electoral college and elect not more than four women on a regional basis to the House in accordance with the provisions of Section 95(3).
In the present Parliament, Mbabane East MP Esther Dlamini is the only elected woman in the House of Assembly.
However, there are other women in the House who were appointed.

These are Thuli Dladla, Princess Ncengencenge, Lindiwe Dlamini, Princess Tsandzile, Lindiwe Ngwenya, Jabulile Mashwama and Sibongile Simelane to name a few.
The objective of this Bill is to give effect to Section 86 of the Constitution in providing for the process and mode of nomination and election of the women members to the House of Assembly, the monitoring of elections and incidental matters.

welcomed

Gender Links Country Director Ncane Maziya welcomed the Bill, saying that it would be of great help, especially after the 2013 elections that saw the election of one woman.
She noted that the Bill would assist in implementing some of the election processes.

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