Amidst the suspense in the newsrooms, the excitement in Government House and the rather predictable apathy of Joe Public, the opening shot of reform was fired by the prime minister. The leader of the opposition cracked his widest smile and took no time to nail his flag to this mast, hailing it as “a step forward”.

We hate to rain on the beautiful parade of a proud prime minister and a satisfied leader of the opposition along with a parched intelligentsia which has at last had a glimpse of cool – albeit unknown – waters, but here’s our two-pennies’ worth contribution to the debate.

Every time the excessively-politically correct discourse of gender-neutrality is tossed at us in the form of quotas, we call for caution. We do strongly believe in equity in all the aspects of our society and it is no secret to anyone that women have been quasi absent at the decision-making tables be that in politics or elsewhere. However, quotas are dangerous and do not, in fact, serve the cause of women.

Take a look at our national assembly today. On the one hand, you have some ‘honourable’ gentlemen about whom the less said the better. Between the stone-throwing goon with the ambition for vices and the role model with the stunning smile, perfect wife and ideal life – and a few others on the wanted list of Bollywood, we are spoilt for choice. On the other, if you put aside a couple of educated, articulate and outspoken women some of whom have a good track record, what are we left with? Here are a few but definitely not exhaustive examples:

First on the list stands the “cut and run woman” – the lady who, as soon as she has cut the ribbon, runs for her funk hole until the next ribboncutting ceremony. Next in line is the eyes-gluedto- paper woman, who reads her parliamentary questions rather than asks them. As for the other one, her whole contribution to the debate in this country has been the ground-breaking statement she made to a newspaper with plenty of space to fill, that “fruits and vegetables are good for health”. And, let’s not talk about the one who has shed more tears during her tenure than any light on any matter of importance.

The point of the matter is that what we need in our national assembly is not a third of women who are as incompetent as many of their male counterparts, some of whom are doing an

outstanding non-job and should seriously consider a profession more suited to their skills. We need competent, educated women with a proven track record and who are willing to join politics. The number depends on who and if they are interested.

Drastic quotas and upping the ante – 1/3 according to the white paper, outbid by the 50% of the MSM – may tumble us in a situation where, to fill the quotas, we end up with a lousier pick than we have today as we start the hunt for anyone in a skirt or a sari willing to sit and tell us to eat fruits and vegetables. Women who are happy with the charity doled out to them through quotas and who, through their very presence, will discourage others from joining.

More importantly, to attract the right women to parliament, their male counterparts should be selected not only on their competence but also on their upbringing and manners. The goons and rogues who call our MPs “Poutou rassis” right in the middle of the hemicycle – as the speaker lets them off with a gentle slap on the wrist – really have no place there. Quotas or no quotas, such behaviour is demeaning to women, embarrassing for the country and does not help the image of those thugs who use the basest ways to take on women. But then again, these are probably some of those thumping the tables as they ask for more women representation.

weekly@lasentinelle.mu