Opposition DPP appointment of Chaponda, not Navicha, as leader of opposition irks Undule, asks: Where is gender equality?
One of the good governance advocate and human rights activist Undule Mwakasungula says that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) appointment of Honourable George Chaponda, MP, as the new Leader of Opposition in the Parliament on 7th May, 2024, though it is noteworthy it, raises some concerns particularly about gender representation and political inclusivity.
Mwakasungula in a press release which he has issued on Tuesday evening observed that this shift away from the DPP’s previous stance on gender equality in leadership is troubling.
“The party earlier appointed Honourable Mary Navicha, MP, as the first female Leader of Opposition, it was a commendable step towards increased women’s participation in political leadership Mwakasungula said”.
Mwakasungula reasoned that Mary Navicha ‘s brief tenure was shown by strong leadership, maturity, and wisdom in tackling issues of national importance in the national assembly.
According to Mwakasungula Replacing her with Hon. Chaponda is disappointing for many of human rights activists who advocate for gender equality and women in leadership.
“The DPP has missed an opportunity here to further promote women in decision-making by not endorsing Hon. Navicha, this is a setback in as far as 50-50 campaign is concerned Mwakasungula said”.
On the other hand, Mwakasungula said that the issue of regional bias in the DPP’s leadership selection also remains a concern.
He argued that the consistent selection from specific regions, particularly the south, risks negative perception on DPP.
Mwakasungula therefore said that
beyond gender equality, inclusive leadership offers broader benefits as studies have consistently shown that organizations with greater gender balance perform better and have more sustainable governance structures saying Political parties are no exception.
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