When Gender Links launched the 50/50 campaign at the Voila Bagatelle hotel yesterday, gender equality was at the center of the debates. Several personalities were present, namely Subhasnee Luchmun Roy, Sandra Mayotte and Tania Diolle from the government, Dev Sunnasy, the leader of 100% Citoyens and the South African High Commissioner in Mauritius, Nelly Manzini. The campaign and the discussion revolved around the fact that there are more men in the Mauritian Parliament than women.
For information; Gender Links (GL) is one of Southern Africa’s leading women’s rights organizations whose work has been widely praised across the continent. Twice winner of the Mail and Guardian “Investing in the Future Award”, GL has also received the ‘Top Women, Drivers of Change’ and ‘African Union’ awards for her exceptional contribution to the promotion of women’s rights in this sub-region.
Formed in March 2001, GL is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with offices in ten Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including a base in Mauritius. Anushka Virahsawmy, director of ‘Gender Links Mauritius’ and founder of ‘Safe Haven Halfway Home’, shared about the research her team has carried out on the number of women present as members of political parties and how many of them were candidates during the last elections. The MSM, the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), the Labor Party, the Mauritius Social Democratic Party (PMSD), Lalit and the Muvman Patriot Morisien, were in the game.
Also present was Ms. Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra, lawyer and president of the Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal. She did not leave the participants indifferent during her speech. “Flashback” to her political journey, she reminded us that she was among the first women in the political arena to face many difficulties as a Muslim. “Fam nou for nou. Nounn evolie e nou ena bokou kapasite. Pa per bann leader si zot dan politik parski zot ena zot lavwa pou fer tande. Me si pe bizin nou bann fam dan parlman zwenn dan enn twalet pou koze avan voice out nou fer li. Nou kapav sanz bokou zafer. ”
The 50∕50 campaign also contains proposals such as a system of ‘Gender Policy’ and ‘Gender Action Plan’ to change the political situation and that Mauritius sign the SADC protocol on ‘Gender Development’ as well as the participation of the media by including the communication code so that the parity of the gender is an obligation. On this note, “Bann fam ki dan politik osi bizin ale al dir zot party leader ki bizin sanzman. Gender Links for the iron louse bann kanpagn me nou bizin solider e ansam si nou pe vremem anvi found bann zafer sanze, avanse kan mem. Se zis avek solidarite ki nou pou kapav sanz kitsoz.”
The change is possible.
