Reshuffle an insult to women
The PDM's Elma Dienda says President Geingob could have used the opportunity to appoint more women, but did not.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has criticised President Hage Geingob's recent cabinet reshuffle, calling it a token of appreciation to his “hopeless” political allies.
PDM parliamentarian Elma Dienda said in a statement that Geingob's much-expected reshuffle last week totally missed some critical aspects of competency and gender balance.
“This has proven to women that there is hardly an opportunity for them in the executive, given the fact that the reshuffle was in part due to two female ministers, Sophia Shaningwa and Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, leaving their positions. This was an opportunity due to female candidates,” argued Dienda.
Shaningwa left her position as housing minister following her election into the fulltime position of Swapo secretary-general at the end of November last year.
Iivula-Ithana, the former home affairs minister, on the other hand, was fired by Geingob, who also ejected former sports minister Jerry Ekandjo from his executive.
Ekandjo and Iivula-Ithana were two of the leaders of a factional grouping that called itself Team Swapo, which opposed Geingob and his supporters in the run-up to last year's ruling party elective congress.
Former international relations deputy minister Peya Mushelenga replaced Shaningwa, while former presidential affairs minister Frans Kapofi took over from Iivula-Ithana at home affairs.
In her statement, Dienda also took issue with the fact that reshuffled male ministers were replaced by other males, instead of female deputy ministers.
“In the same vein, the director of the national planning commission Tom Alweendo, minister of sports and youth Jerry Ekandjo and minister of mines and energy Obeth Kandjoze were deputised by women. Instead of elevating them to the executive position, they remained where they are.
It is very sad that the president has turned a blind eye to this. With the little progress made so far in empowering women in our land, this exclusion sets us some steps backwards, in as far as gender equality if concerned.”
According to Dienda, one of the most damning criticisms faced by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is that countries in the regional grouping have the habit of making several commitments on paper, such as the SADC gender protocol, without the corresponding practical activity and drive to implement these plans.
She said Geingob's cabinet reshuffle provides further evidence of this.
“Of course we are grateful for the top ministerial portfolios driven by women, but a failure to include any women in the recent changes to the executive is an indication that we are retrogressive in terms of reaching gender balance in the legislature and in key decision-making positions.
This is not only a practice in the public sector, but the private sector too has a serious syndrome of undermining the competency of women in key leadership positions,” Dienda added.
JEMIMA BEUKES
PDM parliamentarian Elma Dienda said in a statement that Geingob's much-expected reshuffle last week totally missed some critical aspects of competency and gender balance.
“This has proven to women that there is hardly an opportunity for them in the executive, given the fact that the reshuffle was in part due to two female ministers, Sophia Shaningwa and Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, leaving their positions. This was an opportunity due to female candidates,” argued Dienda.
Shaningwa left her position as housing minister following her election into the fulltime position of Swapo secretary-general at the end of November last year.
Iivula-Ithana, the former home affairs minister, on the other hand, was fired by Geingob, who also ejected former sports minister Jerry Ekandjo from his executive.
Ekandjo and Iivula-Ithana were two of the leaders of a factional grouping that called itself Team Swapo, which opposed Geingob and his supporters in the run-up to last year's ruling party elective congress.
Former international relations deputy minister Peya Mushelenga replaced Shaningwa, while former presidential affairs minister Frans Kapofi took over from Iivula-Ithana at home affairs.
In her statement, Dienda also took issue with the fact that reshuffled male ministers were replaced by other males, instead of female deputy ministers.
“In the same vein, the director of the national planning commission Tom Alweendo, minister of sports and youth Jerry Ekandjo and minister of mines and energy Obeth Kandjoze were deputised by women. Instead of elevating them to the executive position, they remained where they are.
It is very sad that the president has turned a blind eye to this. With the little progress made so far in empowering women in our land, this exclusion sets us some steps backwards, in as far as gender equality if concerned.”
According to Dienda, one of the most damning criticisms faced by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is that countries in the regional grouping have the habit of making several commitments on paper, such as the SADC gender protocol, without the corresponding practical activity and drive to implement these plans.
She said Geingob's cabinet reshuffle provides further evidence of this.
“Of course we are grateful for the top ministerial portfolios driven by women, but a failure to include any women in the recent changes to the executive is an indication that we are retrogressive in terms of reaching gender balance in the legislature and in key decision-making positions.
This is not only a practice in the public sector, but the private sector too has a serious syndrome of undermining the competency of women in key leadership positions,” Dienda added.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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