MUTARE– Forty one years after independence, women are still facing inequalities and systemic barriers within political, economic, social and cultural spheres where huge disparities still remain, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has said.
In its Independence day statement, ZGC said such disparities are disheartening.
ZGC Chairperson, Margaret Mukahanana Sangarwe, said despite positive strides achieved over the four decades, cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) are still prevailing, while women still face barriers to fully develop.
Sangarwe said the Independence Day was a ‘time to reflect and introspect on the sacrifices made by the people of Zimbabwe’, the heroes and heroines, towards reclaiming human rights and freedoms, equality and social justice transcending sex, gender, age, ethnic and other demographic factors.
She applauded efforts towards promulgation of ‘a progressive legal and administrative policy framework to promote gender equality and the rights of women and girls in Zimbabwe,’ in the National Gender Policy and the Constitution.
“As we celebrate the Independence Day, the Commission calls upon Zimbabweans at large to remember that the dreams and aspirations of the women and girls who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle were to create a gender-equal society.
“The area of gender equality, equity and social justice is fundamental in respect of human rights and freedoms. And for that reason, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission takes this day as an opportunity to reflect on the principle and practice of the gender narrative of the country since 1980.
“We call upon all stakeholders to be accountable to the letter and spirit of the constitution and level the playing field through ensuring gender equality and women empowerment.
“Since 1980, Zimbabwe has ratified a number of regional and international conventions and treaties in an attempt to advance gender equality in the country and provide guidelines and minimum standards.
“However, in terms of constitutional benchmarks on gender equality, Zimbabwe is still a long way off the mark as massive gaps and challenges within the same sectors such that huge disparities still remain in political, economic, social and cultural spheres,” read part of the statement.
The Commission said there is still ‘limited access by women to productive resources such as land, capital and other support services’ despite the country gaining Uhuru from British settlers in 1980.
Sangarwe noted that while lobbying by representative groups improved attention to gender issues, the deep seated inequalities prevailing remain a major obstacle.
“Most of our systems as a country – especially the political, economic, religious and cultural systems – are heavily embedded by patriarchal norms and practices that perpetuate gender based exploitation, discrimination and oppression.
“Land question is arguably the major issue that drove the liberation struggle and it is disturbing to note that 41 years later, women still have such limited access to land despite providing the majority labour in that sector.
“Lack of proper integration of gender issues in mitigation and response to disaster management. Contemporary events including the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed that the national response system to disasters and pandemics is neither gender sensitive nor inclusive,” she said.
ZGC is one of the five independent Commissions created by the Constitution in Chapter 12 to support and entrench human rights and democracy and was established in terms of Section 245 of The Constitution and operationalized through the Zimbabwe Gender Commission Act [Chapter 10:31].
Government of Zimbabwe also established the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), the national gender machinery comprising of institutions Zimbabwe Women Micro Finance Bank, Anti-Domestic Violence Council and ZGC, among others.
The NHRIs established by government include the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).
