chap10 baro 2013zim imprev2genderlinks.org.za/wp-content/uploads/imported/... · • the major key...

“Isabella” Anushka Virahsawmy

SADC Gender Protocol 2013 Barometer • Zimbabwe 131

• Zimbabwe has signed and ratified the SADC Gender Protocol. The new Constitution inSection 34 provides for the incorporation of all international instruments into domestic law.

• The country's National Gender Policy is aligned to the SADC Gender Protocol, but thecountry has yet to draft and cost an action plan for implementation of the gender policy.

• The major key result area (KRA) of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and CommunityDevelopment is mobilisation of women and communities, the other two are economicempowerment of women and communities and gender mainstreaming.

• A Gender Commission will be established to monitor the implementation of the genderequality and women's rights provisions in the new Constitution, many of which are alignedto CEDAW and the SADC Gender Protocol.

• Twenty-three local authorities have joined the Centres of Excellence (COE) process for localgovernment and three more will join by the end of 2014, bringing the number to 27. TheMinistry of Local Government has expressed commitment to expanding the COE process toall 92 urban and rural councils.

• The National Focal Point for the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance - Women'sCoalition of Zimbabwe- has started an initiative with women NGOs to create awareness ofthe SADC Gender Protocol at community level.

KEY POINTS

CHAPTER 10

Implementation

Articles 32-36

Former Councillor and Chiredzi Town Council gender champion Bernadette Chipembere conductinga 50/50 campaign in the community, 2012. Photo: Tapiwa Zvaraya

132 SADC Gender Protocol 2013 Barometer • Zimbabwe

With less than two years before the 2015 deadline forachieving the 28 targets of the SADC Gender Protocol(SGP), implementation has become the watchword ofgender activists across the region. In April 2013, over300 activists, government and local government officialsand media from around the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC) converged in Johannes-burg for the SADC Gender Protocol @work regionalSummit, following 12 National Summits involving 1484participants (69% women and 31% men).

The summits yielded 672 case studies of ways in whichthe SADC Gender Protocol (SGP) is being used by citizensto demand and create change. In the five years sincethe adoption of the Protocol, the Alliance slogan hasprogressed from “the time is now”, to “yes we can”,to “yes we must.” As this countdown began, the focusof work has shifted from a push for countries to signand ratify the Protocol to lobbying for costing andimplementation of its targets to move from paper rightsto people's rights.

Zimbabwe held its third country summit from 25-26March 2013 at Pandhari Lodge in Harare.

The SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI) forZimbabwe, a basket of 23 empirical measures, hasdecreased from 61% in 2011 to 59% in 2013. The CitizenScore Card (CSC) that measures perceptions hasregistered dramatic trends: 38% in 2010, 47% in 2011,65% in 2012 and 68% in 2013. This demonstratesoptimism on the part of citizens after the internalconflict. Conflict often opens a brief window ofdemocratic space for women's rights.

Over the last year, the Southern African Gender ProtocolAlliance (SGPA) has stepped up its coalition buildingefforts. The Alliance secretariat, hosted by Gender Links,has signed an MOU with the Women's Coalition ofZimbabwe, which is the focal network for the Alliancein the country.

Background

Articles 32-36, covering “final provisions” include:• The remedies entitled to citizens should they feel

their rights have been violated on the basis of gender;• Ensuring gender mainstreaming in financial allocations

and in the implementation of the Protocol;• The institutional arrangements to be established by

the SADC Secretariat for the implementation of theProtocol that include a Committee of Ministers Respon-sible for Gender or Women's Affairs; Committee ofSenior Officials Responsible for Gender or Women'sAffairs and the SADC Secretariat;

• Actions to be taken at the national level, includingnational action plans, with measurable timeframes,and the gathering of baseline data against whichprogress will be monitored and reports submitted tothe SADC Executive Secretary every two years;

• Mechanisms for the settlement of disputes throughthe SADC Tribunal;

• The fact that any party may withdraw from theProtocol after submitting 12 months' notice;

• Ways in which amendments can be made to theProtocol;

• Signature of the Protocol;• Ratification; entry into force within 30 days of two

thirds of the member states depositing instrumentsof ratification;

• The fact that the Protocol remains open for accessionby any member state; and

• The depositing of the instrument with the ExecutiveSecretary of SADC who shall register.

Five years since the Protocol's adoption in 2008, the SGPAcontinues to track progress on its implementation bySADC member states. This chapter assesses Zimbabwe'sprogress on implementation of the SGP targets as wellas the gender management systems put in place atnational level - all key to successful implementation.

In 2012, this chapter focused on the extent to whichgender ministries had aligned national gender policiesand action plans to Protocol targets. It also assessedwhether state budgets had designated funds for itsimplementation. In 2013, five years since the historicadoption of the SGP, the Barometer assesses institutionalprocesses and mechanisms that need to be put in placeto ensure a strong push on delivery - from governmentsas well as civil society. The chapter contains importantnew areas - such as the extent to which the SGP is beingimplemented at local level and mobilising by Faith BasedOrganisations.

This chapter also tracks the ongoing progress madetoward increasing citizen knowledge around the keytenets of the Protocol. This monitoring and evaluationhas formed part of the Alliance's work across the region.It features an analysis of the innovative Gender ProgressScore (GPS) that will serve as a baseline for futurecomparisons.

Members of the Vusi Sizwe garden project during the COE verificationprocess in Zimbabwe. Photo: Tarisai Nyamweda


Implementation mechanisms and processes

State Parties shall ensure the implementation of this Protocol at the national level: StateParties shall ensure that national action plans with measurable time frames are put inplace, and that national and regional monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are developedand implemented. State Parties shall collect and analyse baseline data against which

progress in achieving targets will be monitored.

Signing

Article 39 provides that the Protocol shall be duly signed by the authorised representativesof member states.

Zimbabwe is among the 13 out of the 15 SADC countries that have signed the 2008 SADC Protocol on Gender andDevelopment. Botswana and Mauritius are the only two countries that are yet to sign.

Ratification

The Protocol states that it shall be ratified by the signatory states in accordance withtheir constitutional procedures and shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit ofinstruments of ratification by two thirds of the member states.

Zimbabwe has ratified the Protocol, which came into force in September 2012 after Swaziland became the ninth countryto deposit instruments of ratification. Zimbabwe has already deposited its instruments with the SADC Secretariat.

Zimbabwe's new Constitution provides for thedomestication of all international instruments signedby the government [Section 34] and establishes thecountry's first Gender Commission [Section 254] as oneof the independent commissions supporting democracy.The eight-member Commission, which should haveequal representation of women and men, will monitorgender equality issues to ensure compliance with theprovisions in the Constitution and it has the mandateto investigate rights violations; conduct research togather evidence for influencing changes in laws andpractices; to recommend affirmative action programmesto achieve gender equality; to recommend prosecution Measuring up: Erica Jones, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Zimbabwe

Ministry of Local Government, is putting the SADC Gender Protocol to work.Photo: Colleen Lowe Morna


for criminal violation of rights relating to gender, amongother functions.

The country's national machinery, the Ministry of WomenAffairs, Gender and Community Development isspearheading several initiatives to ensure implemen-tation of the SADC Gender Protocol and otherinternational and regional instruments (such as CEDAWand the Optional Protocol to the African Charter).

The revised National Gender Policy is in the final stagesof review, and the country has yet to develop a costedaction plan for the implementation of the policy.

The increased representation ofwomen in Parliament alsoprov ides a w indow ofopportunity for greaterParliamentary oversight of thealignment and implemen-tation of laws and policies inaccordance with the SADCGender Protocol. Increasingwomen MPs' knowledge andunder-standing of the SADCGender Protocol, and othergender equal i ty andwomen's rights instruments,is among the priorities ofwomen activists.

At the regional level, theSADC secretariat's GenderUnit, working in closecollaboration with theAlliance, has developed aSADC Plan of Action for theimplementation of the SADCGender Protocol. And GenderLinks, as the Secretariat to theAlliance, has developed ani n t e g r a t e d m o d e l f o rimplementat ion involv ingaligning national policies andaction plans to the targets of theProtocol; using the countryBarometers to obtain baseline data;and identifying actions, time framesand resource implications. Fourcountries - Namibia, Swaziland,Seychelles and Zambia - have gonethrough this process.1

There is now a roadmap for the SADCGender Plan: Over the last two years, theSADC Secretariat's Gender Unit, working inclose collaboration with the Alliance,

developed a SADC Plan of Action to move forward onfull implementation of the SADC Protocol.

GL has developed an integrated model for imple-mentation involving aligning national policies andaction plans to the targets of the SGP; using the countryBarometers to obtain baseline data; identifying actions,time frames and resource implications. Four countries(Namibia, Swaziland, Seychelles and Zambia) have gonethrough this process but follow up needs to bemonitored. Zimbabwe needs to finalise theNationalGender Policy and implement a costed actionplan.

Figure 10.1: Costing model developed by Gender Links

1 SADC Gender Protocol 2013 Regional Barometer, Gender Links.


Genderministry

Ministry ofWomenAffairsgender andCommunityDevelopment

Genderintegrated in

nationaldevelopment

plans?

Yes

Gender policy(date)

Draft GenderPolicy reviewed2013 and isbefore cabinet

Genderaction plan

(date)

Yes,currentlydevelopingone parallelto thenationalpolicy reviewprocess

Aligned toProtocol? If

not, howfeasible?

Yes, aligning toGenderProtocol in therevised policy

In-countryGender

ResponsiveBudgeting (GRB)

Process

•Policy reviews•Capacity

buildinginitiatives

•Budget Analysisprocesses andfeedback

•Sectoralbudgetingprocess

Upcomingprocess/entry

points

•Gender PolicyReview

•Alignment oflaws with thenewConstitution

•Finalisation ofthe NationalGender policy.

•Costed actionplan to go withthe policy toinclude genderbased violence.

•Strongengagementand buy-in withpolicy makers.

•Annual BudgetProcess - Fiscalyear.

Table 10.1: Country mapping of national gender policies, processes and alignment to protocol

Source: SADC Gender Protocol Regional Barometer 2013.

Table 10.1 shows that Zimbabwe has a gender machinerythat fosters gender integration in national developmentplans. The national gender policy, which is aligned tothe SGP, has been reviewed by stakeholders and isawaiting Cabinet review and approval. The nationalgender policy will need a costed action plan that includesgender-based violence.

Implementation of the SADC Protocol at localgovernment level

In March 2013, a jamboree of a different kind tookplace in the Zimbabwean capital city of Harare. Morethan 100 participants from across the country's tenprovinces came together to illustrate that the articlesand provisions of the SADC Gender Protocol are morethan just targets on paper. The SADC GenderProtocol@Work Summit showcased the work of thecountry's local government urban and rural councils

that often is under the radar of the media and thepublic.

Most of the female and male participants in the March2013 summit came from the 21 councils in Zimbabwethat are part of the GL's Centres of Excellence (COEs)for Gender in Local Government project. The workpresented ranged from programmes at the local levelto eradicate GBV to programmes to mainstream genderin community development, to provide access to micro-financing, to increase women's leadership in thecouncils, as well as initiatives to promote eco-friendly,sustainable development for communities, amongothers (see Table 10.2).

The 16 winners (13 women and three men) from thelocal authorities and the media - proceeded to theregional SADC Gender Protocol@Work Summit held inApril 2013.


BeitbridgeBulawayoChegutu MunicipalityChiredzi Town CouncilGoromonzi Rural District CouncilGweru City CouncilKadoma City CouncilKariba Municipality

Kwekwe City Council

Makoni Rural District CouncilMasvingo City CouncilRuwa Town CouncilZvimba Rural District Council

Name of COE

Table 10.2: Summary and analysis of projects emerging from the COEs in Zimbabwe

Project name and descriptionGoing green, going cleanEradication of GBV through technologyLeadership - Melania MandeyaGender mainstreaming & community developmentIn pursuit of healthy livingMtapa Urban Renewal And Homeownership SchemeWomen & Solid Waste Management- Climate Change & Sustainable DevelopmentA Campaign to end GBV; LED- Flea Market Project, Sexual & Reproductive Health,HIV&AIDSMainstreaming gender in recruitment, selection and provision practices at KwekweCity - Council Constitutional, Legal Rights & GovernanceLocal government leadershipNew development fund for micro-finance accessNora Valley Water Pipeline ProjectResuscitation of Nutrition Garden Project- Education & Economic Development

Source: Learning by Listening: Gender in Local Government COE Verification and Summit Findings, April 2013, Gender Links.

Table 10.3 highlights the best practices of gender mainstreaming that were presented by the councils at the ZimbabweSADC Protocol@work summit.

Climate Change

Constitutional and LegalRights (Alliance)

Constitutional and LegalRights (LocalGovernment)

Education and EconomicDevelopment - Alliance

Education and EconomicDevelopment - Localgovernment

Category

Table 10.3: Zimbabwe case studies and winners 2013

Nora Valley Water Pipeline Project.Ruwa Town Council is a water stressedtown. It has been facing acute watershortages for the last 15-20 years.Council has embarked on a bid toconstruct a water pipeline project toaugment water services in the town.Working for constitutional and legalrights in Zimbabwe Project. The mainthrust of this project was raisingawareness, mobilising women toparticipate, engaging policy makersand bringing women together.This project centered on the creationof jobs for women in council throughthe intervention of the councils`saffirmative action.Providing Livelihoods to Albinos.Recognising the needs of Albinochildren was the main focus of thisproject. As a disadvantaged and oftenmarginalised group, the projectsought to give Albino children equalopportunity in education. This projecthas seen the Trust manage to givemarginalized Albino children aneducation by paying for their tuitionas well as providing food and in someinstances transport.New Development Fund. This projectis the brain child of the twinningarrangement between Masvingo CityCouncil and Kernan in Germany,

Ruwa Town Council

Women's Coalition

Kwekwe City Council

Women's Trust

Masvingo CityCouncil

5

3

10

Kwekwe City Council

Masvingo CityCouncil

Numberof Entries

Winners National-Name of Org

Winners Regional-Name of Org Brief Description


Category Numberof Entries

Winners National-Name of Org

Winners Regional-Name of Org Brief Description

Gender Based Violence(GBV) and ConflictResolution - Alliance

Gender Based Violence(GBV) and ConflictResolution - LocalGovernment

Media Content - Print

Media Content - Radio

Sexual and Reproductivehealth, HIV/AIDS -Alliance

Sexual and Reproductivehealth, HIV/AIDS - LocalGovernment

Local Government COE -Best Perfomer Rural

Local GovernmentLeadership

Total

5

7

4

2

3

11

4

54

Fatherhood Peaceproject

Gweru City Council

Thandeka Moyo ofChronicle

Emmanuel Nkomo ofRadio Dialogue

Women's ActionGroup

Goromonzi Ruraldistrict Council

Zvimba Rural Districtcouncil

Melania Mandeya ofChegutuMunicipality

Thandeka Moyo

Women's ActionGroup

Goromonzi Ruraldistrict Council

Zvimba Rural Districtcouncil

which contributed $7000 into arevolving fund to assist in the re-establishment of a microcreditrevolving fund to service clients inthe informal sector of Masvingo City.Building a culture of GBV Preventionthrough village dialogue on Girlsrights. This Project was a case studyborn out of a baseline survey by theorganisation to defend the rights ofthe girl child and raise awareness onGBV. It sought to reduce the incidenceand impacts of violence againstvulnerable girls in Mutasa throughthe transformation of traditionalleaders, church leaders, men, boysand the greater members of thecommunity.Mtapa Urban Renewal andHomeownership Scheme. This councilproject has been running for the last32 years. Council embarked on aninitiative to upgrade housing unitsin Mtapa suburb. This area has seenpeople living in very small housingunits without proper sanitation.Women's Silent Cries. The mediaarticles submitted brought awarenessof GBV through a story on how afamily was affected by GBV.Radio A Mouthpiece for domesticviolence victims. The artefacthighlighted in depth radio interviewson the prevalence of GBV in onelocality in Bulawayo City. It sought tobring awareness on the need to curbGBV in the town.The project promoted networkingamong organisations, and theactivities which were carried outduring the implementation of theproject shows that they wereinformed through baseline survey sothat intervention was appropriateand responsive.The Construction of a Clinic. The casestudy is an initiative of thebenevolence of council, whosemandate is to provide services to thecommunity they serve. Following theshortage of health facilities, thecouncil constructed a Rural HealthCentre.COE councils were judged in thiscategory, whose main focus was onmainstreaming gender into policy.Leader with a difference. The casestudy highlighted the initiativesundertaken by this Gender FocalPerson (GFP) in advancing genderissues both at the workplace and inthe community.


Long stretches of sugar plantation forests seemredundant as you drive on the highway, but this cashcrop is only a veil. Beyond these plantations lies acommunity that is vibrant and striving to attain equalityand development. Chiredzi is a sugar growinginvestment area. It prides itself for having some of thelargest sugar plantations in Africa. It is located in theMasvingo Province, 201 km from Masvingo Town. TheTown Council is one of the biggest institutions in Chiredziin terms of the number of people it employs, the volumeof services it provides to the public and the public utilityworks it carries out.

The Chiredzi Town Council is not only a local governmentcentre of excellence in terms of gender issues, but isalso a focal point in terms of tourism development inZimbabwe. People in this sugar-growing hub of southeast Zimbabwe are engrossed in the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC) Protocol on Genderand Development. They are implementing their actionplan, and are strictly guided by this protocol.

In 2012, and at the time of presenting their case studyat the 2013 summit in Zimbabwe, Chiredzi Council had9 councillors, 7 males and 2 females."We need womento be confident enough to get into politics and run forelections. We are putting the framework for them andit is now up to them to run for elections or apply forpositions in council," says Owen Gwasira, the auditorand gender focal point at the council.

Though lagging behind in numbers, these two femalecouncillors are empowered to discuss and respond toconcerns in the community. They are community savvyand are able to put gender issues on the agenda. Thesewomen stand up for the vulnerable in their communityas they monitor local police action on gender basedviolence, help fight legal battles, promote women'seconomic empowerment and manage to mainstreamgender in all aspects of council operations.

It is noteworthy that the council had a vibrant andillustrious gender champion, former CouncillorBernadette Chipembere, who defends the genderagenda in her town. She is instrumental in sensitisingthe community about the SADC protocol genderprovisions.

Chipembere has taken the 50/50 campaign door to door,spreading the word and making sure that what is onpaper is translated on the ground for all the women inthe community to get on board. She has come up withinnovative ways of teaching the community, throughdramatising all 28 targets of the protocol. The local

women in this town are well informed, and nobureaucrat could ever challenge them in discussingwhat this protocol entails and which tenets of theprotocol they are responding to in their line of work.Unquestionably, Chiredzi Town Council is one of themost informed councils, which has translated to aninformed citizenry.

The chief point of engagements with the public isthrough the councillors. They get information from theconstituency and they share with council. The ChiredziTown Council has been actively involved in women'sempowerment projects. One of the most notable projectsis the women in small-scale mining project. The projectassists women in finding opportunities in mining, andlinking them up with investors.. Key to the success ofthis project is the gender champion's level ofcommitment and the support from the councilhierarchies.

The council has also been able to empower thecommunity through land and housing to ensuresustainable development. Over 1090 residential standswere allocated in the previous year. HousingCooperatives such as Kushinga and Kubatana housingcooperative cater for the needs of poor women andmen in Chiredzi. Through these cooperatives, thisauthority is helping the community to attain the basichuman right to shelter. Tendai Jingura a member of theKushinga Housing cooperative attests to council'scommitment in giving people land.

"To alleviate the burden of paying our hard-earnedcash into the purchasing of stands, the council introducedus to cooperatives. Thirty of us gathered to form

Chiredzi Town Council prioritises gender mainstreaming in service delivery

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Owen Gwasira, Chiredzi Town Council gender focal person receivingaward for the Gender Based Violence response category during theZimbabwe Gender Justice and Local Government summit held at KadomaHotel & Conferencing Centre; Zimbabwe, 2012.

Photo: Loverage Nhamoyebonde

Implementation of the SADC Protocol at local government level


Kubatana Housing cooperative,'' says Jingura. Wecontributed USD $50 from 2011 to 2012 into thecooperative for paying and servicing our stands. I wouldnot have achieved this alone, thanks to Chiredzi TownCouncil. Seven women in our cooperative are now houseowners, which is a big step towards their empower-ment," she continues.

Council's major areas of improvement have been in thewater and sanitation sector. Council has been workingwith UNICEF, which has provided them with funds tobe able to increase their water pumping capacity andinstall boreholes. This will alleviate the water shortagesthat have been faced. Some of this funding will betaken to cholera interventions and refuse removal.

"Council has no resources now. However, we are workingin conjunction with partners to get support of projects."Gwasira admits that council accountability andtransparency is an advantage as they source funds.Council has two gender focal persons. Precious Mutsetseand Owen Gwasira are both in middle management.They have both won awards in showcasing their bestpractises in the HIV and AIDS and care work categoryand GBV response categories respectively. With suchfocused people in the forefront, the council has beenable to spearhead all its mainstreaming and startimplementing their policy more strategically. Genderissues have been put onto the map. A budget for womenrelated issues has increased as this is now recognisedofficially.

The local authorities' COEs process in Zimbabwe is oneof the best examples of implementation of the SADCGender Protocol. Two of the objectives of the ZimbabweCOEs programme are directly related to the SADCGender Protocol. These are2:

• Raise support for the roll out of the COE's to at leasthalf of Zimbabwe's 92 councils by 2015, the deadlinefor the achievement of the 28 targets of the SADCProtocol on Gender and Development. This rolloutstarted with 10 councils in 2012;

• Popularise and enhance application of the SADCGender Protocol through the village workshops thataccompany the COEs and incorporating its targets inthe local action plans in order to increase communityoutreach and impact of the Protocol@work.

The COEs also will use the evidence from the ViolenceAgainst Women baseline study to inform their prog-rammes and initiatives at the local level, contributingto the country's efforts to achieve the SADC GenderProtocol target of halving GBV by 2015.

In Zimbabwe, 23 councils have joined the COE processand an additional 10 are targeted for 2013. The COEcouncils in Zimbabwe serve a population of 6,230,157.They engage 396 councillors, of whom 83 (21%) arewomen. The COE process has so far included 18 SADCProtocol Village workshops giving the community achance to understand the SADC protocol.

Table 10.4 maps the target COE councils in Zimbabwe.The COE process was started initially in 14 councils andis now cascaded to 27 councils. The process is championedby gender focal persons and gender champions in thecouncils to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in servicedelivery. Through the action planning process, the coun-cils are able to develop and cost a gender mainstreamingplan that is gender responsive and incorporates the 28targets of the SADC Gender Protocol.

2 Learning by Listening: Gender in Local Government COE Verification and Summit Findings, April 2013, Gender Links.

BeitbridgeBulawayoChegutuChiredziChitungwizaGweruHarareKaribaMakoni RDCMasvingoRuwaVictoria FallsZvimba RDC

Pre-2012 target councils

Table 10.4: COE councils in Zimbabwe

Chimanimani RDCGoromonzi RDCHurungwe RDCKaroiKwekweKadomaShurugwi Town CouncilTongogara RDCManyameBindura Town CouncilBindura Rural CouncilGwanda Town CouncilFilabusi Rural CouncilUmguza RDC

Source: Learning by Listening: Gender in Local Government COE Verificationand Summit Findings, April 2013, Gender Links.

2012/13 target councils


I first heard about Gender Links (GL) through the councilGender Focal Person (GFP) Fainesi Shamhu. She wastalking to colleagues about the SADC Protocol in 2012after attending and participating at the GL Nationaland Regional Gender Justice and Local GovernmentSummit. She was explaining governance issues andwomen's political participation and decision-making. Igot a copy of the SADC Protocol which I am now usingto talk to the communities I work with.

I believe the protocol has opened up our minds aswomen. I am more conscious about gender issues. Therehas been notable change to my life, this council andthe community that I can bear testimony to. Due togender mainstreaming initiatives, council has takenaffirmative action steps to register houses/ stands inboth spouses' names. The housing application formsare now sex disaggregated. Personally, getting to knowabout gender issues has been an eye opener. I used tolook down upon myself. Through the education I havebeen empowered and I am very confident.

I am now the chairperson of the Political District;unanimously elected, unopposed. In the past I wouldhave been afraid to take up such positions. I now knowthat you can contest with men and challenge themeven at work. Most important, I have learnt that thereis need for behaviour change. I have acquired

information and have the ability to act on the knowledgethat I have acquired. This is the first time that I ammeeting someone from Gender Links but I know thatthey are the proponents who move the SADC Protocol.

Denicah Makota, Executive assistant, ParliamentaryConstituency information Centre, Zvimba, Zimbabwe

How the SADC Gender Protocol has changed my life

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Councillor Mugabe (left) and Denicah Makota (right) celebrating at the 2013Zimbabwe SADC Gender Protocol summit. Photo: Colleen Lowe Morna

The COE process

The ten-stage COEs process bringstogether research, policy, action plans,on the job support and capacitybuilding in a unique model that giveslocal expression to the 28 targets ofthe SADC Protocol on Gender andDevelopment - the sub regionalroadmap for MDG 3 (gender equality).As is the case with the MDGs, thesetargets are to be achieved by 2015.

GL Zimbabwe works with the ZimbabweLocal Government Association (ZILGA) as theumbrella body of the Urban Councils Association(UCAZ) and the Association of Rural District Councils ofZimbabwe (ARDCZ). In addition the COEs initiative isstrongly supported by the Ministry of Local Government,Urban and Rural Development which has given itssupport for the roll-out of the COEs process to all 92councils - 32 urban and 60 rural- in the country. TheCOEs initiative in Zimbabwe is supported by the SwedishInternational Development Agency (Sida).

The Gender Focal Persons and GenderChampions in the councils are centralto the sustainability of gender in thelocal authorities' work. Almost allcouncils in Zimbabwe have GenderChampions, who are trained in theCOE process, and they are responsiblefor the SADC Gender Protocol Village

workshops and community mobili-sation linked to this.4

Prior to the summit, GL Zimbabweundertook an on-the ground verification

exercise of the COEs where evidence of progresswas gathered and an update scoring exercise donethrough the local government scorecard. The verificationexercised is benchmarked using the council action plans,which include the gender based violence plans all basedon the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.The average baseline score for councils in Zimbabwe asmeasured by the Gender in Local Government ScoreCard is 58%.

4 Learning by Listening: Gender in Local Government COE Verification and Summit Findings, April 2013, Gender Links.


COEs walk the talk

There is increasing evidence and documentation of thegender-responsive impact the COEs process is makingboth within the councils' structures and in the commu-nities they serve. Some of the ways in which the processis engendering governance at the local level are asfollows:

Higher representation of women in COE Councilsand some excellent case studies of the 50/50campaign: An analysis shows that women constitutean average of 22% in the COE councils, compared tothe overall country average of 18%. This ranges from8% in Harare to 50% in Tongogara; the only genderbalanced council in Zimbabwe and a reminder that the50/50 can be achieved.

Women leadership is now taken seriously in theCOEs: Even where women councillors are scarce, theirvoices are being heard in decision-making in the COE's.For example, the only female councillor in Ruwa sits onall but one committee of council. She also is the chairof the finance committee.

Ending GBV in localities: The number of case studiespresented during the 2013 summit showed commitmentby councils to reduce GBV prevalence. For example inGweru, the upgrading of Mtapa flats to family styleunits is envisaged to reduce overcrowding and subse-quently GBV prevalence. Councils are holding educationcampaigns on GBV through cyber dialogues (Bulawayo),and marches against GBV (Kariba).

Local economic empowerment is evident in theCOEs through concerted council efforts to combineprojects such as recycling with empowerment. InMasvingo, women have been linked to microfinancethrough the New Development Fund. This has enabledwomen to access small to medium business opportunitiesin the municipality. Kariba has built flea markets forwomen informal traders.

Gender in council budgets: As a result of the COEprocess, councils have specifically designated $52 530for gender projects in the current financial year. Thehighest is Zvimba - $28,580 allocated by the Council topromote gender equality in the 2013 budget. Whilethese amounts are relatively small, they are symbolicallysignificant - an important indicator of “putting yourmoney where your mouth is.” Councils have also contri-buted to COE logistic costs.

Gender structures established in all COE's: Emerginggender structures include departmental gender focalpersons forming gender committees, which feed backto council committees such as the health and humanresources. Councils are also backed by gender championswho are the politicians directly interfacing with peopleon the ground. Some councils - Ruwa and Chiredzi -have male gender focal persons.

Source: Learning by Listening: Gender in Local Government COEVerification and Summit Findings, April 2013, Gender Links

The Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance inZimbabwe

The now eight-year-old Alliance networks genderequality, women's rights, men's groups, faith-basedorganisations, among others, from across the region.These groups are the “eyes and the ears” at the nationallevel, watching their governments' implementation ofthe SADC Gender Protocol at all levels.

The Alliance's network includes focal networks withincountries, and nine theme clusters led by organisationswith a comparative advantage in the cluster area theylead. The cluster leaders constitute the SteeringCommittee, and in August 2011, the Alliance elected asub-committee called the Think Tank, comprising fivesenior members who oversee the day-to-day work ofthe Secretariat, which is located in Gender Links.

While the Alliance coalesces around the SADC GenderProtocol and the achievement of its 28 targets, it hasbecome the basis for a movement of gender equalityand women's rights activists across the region who usethe Protocol to mobilise a unified 'voice' for politicalaccountability to advancing gender equality andwomen's rights in the region. It has documented part

Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe minibus plastered with messages toencourage women to vote 'yes' in the constitution referendum, 2013.

Photo: Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe


of its story in Roadmap to Equality, yet still sees theadoption of the Protocol as the start of the story formaking the document change the lived realities ofwomen across the region.

In Zimbabwe, the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe(WCoZ) is the national focal network for the Alliance,and Zimbabwe is home to the leaders of two clustergroups - ZWRCN for Economic Justice and the Womenin Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) for Governance. Theseorganisations continue to spearhead at the nationallevel many of the campaigns and initiatives that drivethe implementation of the Protocol's articles andprovisions. And, where there are gaps, they bringtogether organisations within the women's move-ment to launch advocacy and lobbying campaigns forchange.

In 2012, WCoZ organized a high-level launch of thefirst-ever published SADC Gender Protocol Barometercountry report and has been pivotal to ensuring thatthe 2013 country report is published as a record of thehistorical changes that took place during the year thatprovide a window of opportunity for women to pushtheir agenda further.

The national structures of the Alliance will provide thecountry's new Gender Commission with a strong civilsociety constituency with the knowledge and 'no-how'on how to keep track of the government's progress atnational and local levels.

In 2013, WCoZ embarked on nationwide communitymeetings to popularise the SADC Gender Protocol. Inaddition, the focal network held a country level meetingto strengthen the country networks through thematicclusters. The mapping exercise is still ongoing and thecountry structure that will emerge will be shared withother country alliance networks.

Advocacy

High level advocacy with a focus on three strategiccampaigns - 2009 - 2012+

The Alliance at regional level isfocussing on three campaigns: the50/50 campaign (see Chapter two),campaign for an Addendum to theSADC Gender Protocol on gender andclimate change (see Chapter 11) andreducing gender violence by 50% by2015 (see Chapter five). Major recent

successes include quotas for women in local governmentin Mauritius (see governance section) as well as inparliament in Zimbabwe. The SADC Gender Ministersmeeting in Maputo in February 2012 agreed to “considera proposal to develop an addendum to the SADCProtocol on Gender and Development on Gender andClimate Change.”

Going forward, Zimbabwe will actively participate intwo main campaigns: campaign for an Addendum tothe SADC Protocol on gender and climate change; andreducing gender violence by 50% by 2015.

Direct and indirect beneficiariesDuring the year under review the Southern AfricanGender Protocol Alliance held seven meetings inZimbabwe. About 316 people attended the meetings.Of these, women comprised 199 (63%) and 117 (37%)were men.

The Alliance continues to reach out via the list serve,website, new media and publications to Zimbabweanusers.

Monitoring and evaluation of the SADC GenderProtocol in Zimbabwe

There are five main monitoring and evaluation toolsthat the Alliance uses to measure change:• The SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI)

developed and used in the Barometer since 2011.• Citizen score cards (CSC) calculate citizen perceptions.

In 2013, 275 Zimbabweans completed the CSC, 63%women and 37% men.

• Knowledge quizzes measure the extent of womenand men's knowledge of the SGP to see if advocacyefforts have made a difference. A total of 2202 citizenscompleted the quiz, 67% women and 33%.

• Attitudes quizzes measure the extent to which genderattitudes are becoming more progressive.

• The SADC Gender Protocol@Work provides examplesof good practices that demonstrate application ofProtocol articles in the work of organisations andindividuals across all sectors. The Zimbabwe summitsaw 90 case studies being presented.

The Gender Progress Score (GPS)

The Gender Progress Score has evolved from a 20question attitude survey derived from the GL's GBVbaseline survey. A total of 4699 citizens in Zimbabweparticipated in the GPS: 67% women and 33% men.


Figure 10.2: Gender Progress Scores for women and men in the SADC region

Mozambique

South Africa

Tanzania

Namibia

Lesotho

Swaziland

Mauritius

ZambiaMalawi

Botswana

MadagascarDRC

Zimbabwe

Regional

average

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

6764

6965 6966 6867 6863

6662 6561 6462 6360

717068736665

FemaleMale

Source: 2013 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer .

6661

6668

Figure 10.2 shows that overall, women in Zimbabwe(as with the rest of SADC countries) scored higher thanmen, but only marginally so. This shows that publiceducation and awareness aimed at changing attitudesneeds to be intensified for both women and men. Thescores for Zimbabwe are 68% for women and 66% formen.

• Evidenced-based policy development andprogramming is essential for putting in place strategicmeasures to meet the targets of the MDGs and of theSADC Gender Protocol. The Alliance in Zimbabweshould lobby for a stronger use of sex-disaggregateddata by all entities in the public and private sector.

• National campaigns and IEC programmes are neededto increase the population's knowledge and awarenessof the SADC Gender Protocol and CEDAW. The Allianceshould spearhead campaigns at different levels totake the Protocol to the people.

• Engage with the international community on thePost-2015 Agenda, focusing on rallying theZimbabwean government's support for a Stand AloneGoal on Gender Equality.

• Engage the national machinery to develop a costednational gender action plan.

• Renew and intensify advocacy and lobbying for GRBand for stronger gender-responsive economic policiesand frameworks.

• Strengthen Parliamentary oversight to complementthe Gender and Human Rights Commissionsmonitoring of the implementation of the genderequality and women's rights provisions in the newConstitution.

• Institute a civil-society-based mechanism to monitorand document the violations of women's rights.

Next steps

Traditional dance group-celebration of international women's day in Binga, 2011. Photo: Patricia Made

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