Following the fresh appointment of board of directors for 67 parastatal organisations respectively, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have established that the appointments are in violation of section 10(1) (a) of the Environmental Management Act which provides that the gender composition of the Authority shall not be constituted of more than 60% of one gender.

In further context, the organizations, (Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Women Lawyers Association, Youth and Society, and NGO Gender Coordination Network) have given the government seven days to reconstitute all boards that have failed to comply with the law, noting that out of the 67 boards, only seven have female chairpersons and that over five boards do not have any female representation at all. “…only about 11 out of the 54 boards analysed have no gender being more than 60% of the other gender.” reads part of a notice dated September 27, 2020, sent to the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, by the NGOs

“The issue that we are raising is about women representation.” said HRDC Chairperson, Gift Trapence, “What we have noted is that this Gender Equality Act is being violated among other laws.”