Women MPs likely to decline – New Era

Description: The article tackles gender inequality post elections. It forecasts the decline of women in parliament which means Namibia will not reach the 2015 target of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. Namibia is among the few Southern African countries boasting a high percentage of female representation in parliament.

Analysis
Women are considered as “second class citizensÀ and this is brought to the fore in the article. It exposes the gap between policy and practice and its impact on women’s intervention in the political sphere. The article maps historical discriminatory practice in Namibia: social, political and economic. It contextualises Namibia’s ratification of the SADC Protocol and the country’s declining status in achieving the targets.

Women are sidelined from decision-making positions and other political processes. The article states that despite media attention and activism, Namibia is set to follow Botswana’s footsteps: it witnessed a drop from 30 to 25% in women’s representation in parliament.

“More than 30 civil society organisations joined hands with the Women’s Leadership Centre to mount the Women Claiming Citizens Campaign,À the article states. In this way it indicates to the reader the gravity of the scenario and the forces aiming to counter the decline.

The article makes sense of research in a digestible manner. It provides crucial information, for instance, that women represent 52% of the vote, but yet Namibia has no legislative quota at national level.

The article notes that the patriarchal system and the low social status of women in African societies denies them access to senior and leadership positions, resulting in low numbers of women holding positions of power. The article suggests that the space for women’s participation is closing and this minimises the space for change.

Headline
“Women MP’s likely to declineÀ is a bold statement. It underlines a trend which projects the negative swing in respect to the political space women may occupy in Namibia. The headline points to gender inequality. It draws attention to political dynamics which hamper women’s participation.

Sources
Civil society groups advocating for equal rights and opportunities for men and women are sourced. A female representative of the Gender and Media Southern Africa Network is also canvassed. The sources offer alternative viewpoints to the status quo and instigate new thought. The sources are relevant and offer valuable insight and input on the gender discourse.

Language
The language used is persuasive. The article aims to inform readers and bring home the threat of declining participation and its impact on ensuring society fairly represents a sector that is negated. The article challenges the status quo.

Visual Images
There are no visual images used.

Story angle and perspective
The article mainstreams gender issues, is gender sensitive and pushes the envelope on gender. The content has transformative potential in that it challenges traditional thinking and the status quo.

The tone and direction of the article are clear from the onset. It does not shy away from the challenge facing Namibian society. The perspective pushed is that citizens and parties must ensure that political space remains open.

Placement or positioning
The article is a feature which appears on page 11. It occupies more than half of the page.

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