From Zimbabwe, it was gathered that Women’s groups in the country have expressed their disappointment with the cabinet’s list released recently by President Robert Mugabe, as only six women were appointed out of 26 cabinet members.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered that President Mugabe, after swearing in his new ministers on Tuesday, said that there is nothing abnormal about having just three women in his 26-member Cabinet.

“Education is for all now.  It is mixed.  The yield is the same.  It is no longer necessary for us to have affirmative action, it is now free for all.  Let women contest alongside men without any preferential treatment," said Mugabe.

This appointment contradicts what the Zimbabwean constitution detailed when it states that equal rights in workplace and representation in public offices should be 50-50.

Reacting to the appointment, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe Chairperson, Virginia Muwanigwa, said her members are unhappy with Mugabe’s appointments.

“We are disappointed that we have not been able to achieve the number of women in Cabinet according to what we expected in the constitution, which is actually 50-50 or 50 percent. And we are particularly disappointed because it is not just about the Cabinet, but what the Cabinet represents in the lives of people of Zimbabwe."

Also, another official with the Women in Politics Support Unit, Patricia Muwandi, explained why women in Zimbabwe lag behind in politics.

"The historical imbalances that have seen most women not getting enough opportunities as their male counterparts in terms of accessing education and the gender roles the women expect to play," she said. "So this where we are saying; as an organization we want to work with the women to ensure that those with some qualifications can go further."

The women, who come from the business world, academia, the church, and civil society, say they hope the Zimbabwean government will eventually live up to the constitution and appoint equal numbers of women and men to all public offices and commissions.