WDN-ZW advocates for women’s participation in publ...

WDN-ZW advocates for women’s participation in public life

Munyaradzi Doma

Women’s Democracy Network Zimbabwe has launched its campaign for the 10 Days of activism for promoting women’s participation in leadership, politics and governance processes as well as gender responsive policy making.

The campaign, which started yesterday and ends on September 6, was initially launched in Zimbabwe in 2020 as it seeks to promote gender responsive policymaking for women’s increased participation in public life.

Sally Ncube, Executive Director of WDN-ZW said the “campaign is targeting diverse stakeholders and duty bearers key to advancing women’s participation in governance processes through amplifying trained gender champions and women leaders advocacy actions.

“The anticipated outcome for the campaign includes increasing stakeholders’ awareness on barriers to women’s inclusion and participation, strengthened responsiveness of duty bearers, public support for women’s leadership, political will by duty bearers, and increased action by diverse State and non-state actors to address barriers to women’s participation in public life through active participation and advocacy for gender responsive policy making”.

Ncube further revealed that during the campaign period, there will be “three online policy dialogues which will be convened by gender champions to create platforms for access to information, engaging with policy makers and sharing inspiration and best practices to activate collective action for gender responsive policy making advocacy to address barriers and create an enabling policy and political environment for women’s inclusion and full participation in public life in all governance processes and structures.

“WDN Zimbabwe believes that if male and female gender champions are trained in gender responsive policy making and provided support and platforms to develop gender responsive policy making initiatives, this will significantly contribute to meaningful advocacy and duty bearers’ responsiveness on gender responsive policy interventions to address barriers to women’s participation in public life,” added Ncube.

Ncube also revealed that in 2021, WDN Zimbabwe mobilised 83 gender champions who were trained on gender responsive policy making to end gender-based violence in Harare Province.

She added that they were provided with technical support to analyse public transport policies, draft policy recommendations and engage duty bearers.

And in June last year, they also launched the Zimbabwe policy round tables initiative for female leaders from various political parties and organisations across the country to increase knowledge and network of women leaders to enhance their influence for gender responsive policies towards women’s political participation.

She added that some of the policy solutions identified included development of a model policy with standard operating procedures that political parties can adopt to prevent, respond, safeguard women from effects of violence against women in politics.

And it also included the development of a standard/model policy of a gender responsive candidate selection policy and gender responsive budgeting advocacy for political parties’ resources.

Ncube also revealed that in March 2023, they commenced implementation of an intervention to increase the capacity of 30 gender champions, consisting of civil society actors, government officials and community leaders to promote gender responsive policies that address barriers to women’s full participation in public life in Harare’s Metropolitan Province.

Further to that, Ncube also revealed that WDN Zimbabwe trained a total of 30 gender champions on gender responsive policy making from 28 to 29 of last month and they were drawn from in and around Harare consisting of university students, college lecturers, politically aspiring candidates, civil society organisations, journalists and community members.

“After the training, gender champions developed action plans which they are in the process of implementing in their communities to apply knowledge and skills gained,” added Ncube.