Parliament passes Affirmative Action bill into law
By DL News
Published
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This bill aims to guarantee that a significant number of women occupy essential roles in governance, public life, and decision-making arenas, which is expected to enhance the overall well-being of women across the country.
The Affirmative Action Gender Equity Bill which has faced numerous delays and debates in Parliament over the years, has now been unanimously passed by the House today.
This bill aims to guarantee that a significant number of women occupy essential roles in governance, public life, and decision-making arenas, which is expected to enhance the overall well-being of women across the country.
On the floor of the house today, Gender Minister Darkoa Newmann moved a motion for the passage after which it was unanimously approved by the house.
The Affirmative Action Gender Equity Bill 2024 seeks a fair representation and participation of both women and men in governance, public positions of power, and all decision-making spaces of the country.
It also requires all sectors to reserve a percentage of their employment for women. Political parties are also to be encouraged to adopt voluntary party quotas to promote women’s participation in party politics.
The Bill mandates all public institutions to adopt gender policies, including recruitment policies, aimed at achieving a balanced structuring of those institutions in terms of gender.
The Bill proposes that anyone who insults a woman just because she is vying for public office should be liable for prosecution.
Clause 38 of the draft bill provides that, a person who victimizes, obstructs, or exerts undue influence and submits a female politician to verbal attack, among others, commits an offense.
