National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei has said increasing the number of women in leadership through the ⅔ gender rule will have no effect on the wage bill.
She said it is important that disinformation and misinformation are fought.
"Increase in the number of women in elective and appointive positions is not an issue that is going to raise costs. The wage bill issue should not be related to having more women in positions of decision-making, " the Deputy Speaker said.
She said the claim that it will increase the wage bill was a story that was peddled.
Shollei said if costs must be cut, then the number of counties be reduced.
"And while we are at it, let's not have deputy governors, let's not have MCAs, we can have 10 of them only. Why is it that when it's a women's issue, costs start coming in? " Shollei posed.
The deputy speaker was speaking on Thursday during a Consultative forum with women leaders on the constitution amendment bill on the two-thirds gender rule at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
She said the wage bill issue was brought to kill the two-thirds gender rule.
"At that time they even wanted to delete the clause that says no more than two-thirds," Shollei said.
She said a constitutional amendment ought to be made to make the parliament composition more inclusive of women.
Shollei said the purpose of implementing the two-thirds gender rule is to get 290 women in parliament.
Shollei said 349 may not be attained but 290 wil still be a great step.
"It's better to get 50 per cent of something than to get 100 per cent of nothing because currently, we have nothing," Shollei said.
