Gender inequality and violence against women and girls remain major drivers of poverty, destitution, and under-development, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.Edward Kallon has said.
Addressing the HeForShe Diplomats and Business Leaders Dialogue meeting in Harare today, Kallon said achieving gender equality requires an inclusive approach that both recognizes men and boys as partners for women’s rights.
“Men and boys can help to change discriminatory behaviors, through building awareness of the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment at structural levels in their communities, to end the persisting inequalities faced by women and girls,” he said.
Kallon said, the HeForShe campaign is an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women and girls to create a bold, visible, and united force for gender equality.
He urged Zimbabweans to pledge their commitment to gender equality and an end to violence against women and girls by joining the HeForShe movement.
“I would like to encourage the media also to reach out to many other male colleagues at the highest decision-making level to commit collectively and individually to champion at least one or two issues on women’s equality and empowerment.
“It could be male parliamentarians championing the alignment of laws to the constitution, economists discussing possible special measures to ensure women are fully included in the economy, judges, and leaders in the security sector enforcing laws to end child marriage all of them will help to enable women and girls to become change agents at all levels of society,” said Kallon.
He also urged Diplomats and business leaders who convened under the HeForShe forum to use their influence and position to call for and ensure that development programmes and projects have a strong gender lens for women and girls’ welfare.
