‘Make polling stations accessible to women’

Source: ‘Make polling stations accessible to women’ – DailyNews Live

Helen Kadirire      3 October 2017

HARARE – Polling stations should be located close to areas such as
churches and shopping centres to make them more accessible to women,
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission acting chairperson Lilian
Chigwedere has said.

She told the Daily News on the sidelines of a women and elections dialogue
on Friday that women – who constitute the majority in the country’s
population – should be afforded the right to vote.

The dialogue, organised by the Women’s Coalition in Zimbabwe, highlighted
the struggles that the female electorate and candidates face.

“Why don’t we use existing structures where women will not make too much
of an effort to move from their bases. There is a complaint that the
registration centre in Mbare at Remembrance offices is too far for many,”
Chigwedere said.

“People need to understand that large sums of women and eligible voters
congregate at churches during the week and on weekends. Polling stations
should be taken there to reduce the hassle of moving about too much; also
at shopping centres where we know there will be a lot of people. That is
where the stations should be for maximum traffic,” she said.

If polling stations were placed at those centres, she said women will no
longer have an excuse of why they could not vote. Female Prisoners Support
Trust (Femprist) director Rita Nyampinga said women are not protected from
violence and intimidation during the election season.

“Politicians and especially men should not take advantage of situations
and hold people at ransom. When a disaster strikes such as floods, do not
donate under the banner of a political party to get votes. If you want to
give, do it genuinely. Often, people are told that as a prerequisite to
get food aid, they must support or vote for the person who is donating,”
she said.