An Analysis of Gender Clauses in Political Parties' Constitutions in Lesotho

Abstract

To address the global problem of female under-representation in political leadership, several political parties have included gender clauses in their constitutions. However, the crisp question is whether the gender clauses in political parties' constitutions effectively enhance women’s representation in politics. An ancillary question is whether these clauses can guarantee real empowerment for women. This study aims to investigate these questions. The study is qualitative and uses secondary data sourced from legislation and political parties' constitutions. The study’s findings indicate that the gender clauses in the parties` constitutions are ineffective. This is because the political parties are mostly rhetorical about the phenomenon; as a result, the ideals embodied in some of the political constitutions are hardly ever realised in practice. This is partly because the constitutions do not have concrete strategies for ensuring that women hold powerful positions in their internal structures and public services.