The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) says the one-month lockdown in Zimbabwe has exposed some gender disparities and gender policy inconsistencies.
In a statement, ZGC said although most resources have been channelled towards the emergence response to COVID-19, there remains a need to ensure equal access to protection, opportunities and treatment of women, men, girls and boys in line with constitutional guarantees.
“The Commission notes with concern the gendered impact of COVID-19, within a month of the National Lockdown. While the Commission commends the government for taking precautionary measures against the spread of the deadly pandemic, unfortunately, gender equality guarantees in the Constitutional Bill of Rights have not adequately influenced the national response to the pandemic,” the statement.
It further stated that there should be safety nets which allow for balance in times of crises.
“Recognize the gender dynamics in emergencies and ensure that respective response mechanisms are gender-responsive; Enhance respective social protection systems – through robust safety nets – with a deliberate emphasis on giving preference to the vulnerable members of the society, which includes women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities, among other groups,” ZGCsaid.
Zimbabwe recently partially lifted lockdown restrictions but only those in the formal are allowed to go back.
However, the country’s economy is largely informal and the majority are females.
ZGC said the government should ensure that economic recovery plans also target women who are the majority in the informal economy.
“The informal economy has been the most active providing income for the majority of families. Access to disposable income is a daily quest to ensure that food is available among the mostly daily-wage-earners dependent on vending and other forms.
“The lockdown has largely shut down the informal economy affecting millions of Zimbabweans especially women and girls – who are the major players in the informal sector,” the statement further stated.
