Community Voices Zimbabwe (CVZ) a community organisation based in Kwekwe recently held a constitutional sensitisation meeting in Zhombe. The meetings were aimed at educating women on laws that promote the rights of women and women present got an opportunity to share their knowledge concerning the constitution and talk about challenges they are facing in their communities.

During the meeting, women present highlighted problems they were facing including access to affordable healthcare, corruption at healthcare institutions and the current drought situation. The consensus was that there was a need of an intervention to curb the demand for bribes at local clinics. “If you want to be treated at our clinics and you have no money for “emergency” you might as well stay at home. I went with my daughter in-law when she was in labour and they would not attend to her because we didn’t have money for “emergency”. Yet she needed an emergency C-section as her and the baby’s health was compromised, both of them could have died,” said one of the women.

Others talked about the difficulties they faced when it came to trying to run for public office. They said that they faced public ridicule and shaming, with the patriarchal nature of society they also struggled to get support and consent from their husbands. Women also don’t have money to do campaigns like their counterparts. With the drought that’s resulting in loss of livestock and supplementary crops, income streams will be more limited.

Alderman Sibanda of Zhombe ward 9 expressed deep concern over the effects of drought facing his ward. “Schools are no longer carrying out supplementary feeding projects where vulnerable students would get a meal. I won’t be surprised if someone dies from hunger as a result of this drought. If we had planted sorghum we would be in a better position but as it is, the situation is dire,” said Alderman Sibanda.

Partinella Ngozo, the Programs Officer for CVZ said the community outreaches are aimed at promoting gender inclusiveness. “The idea is to popularise existing legislations promoting gender inclusive and sensitive developmental approaches while sensitising participants on the need for a Gender Equality Act. There have been cases of abuse of power by traditional leaders, sexual harassment, inheritance processes disadvantaging the rural woman, violent political processes and exclusion of women in local development initiatives,” she said.

There are a number of international laws that have been established as a way of protecting women from violence. One of them is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international legal instrument that requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas and promotes women’s and girls’ equal rights. According to the United Nations CEDAW is often described as the international bill of rights for women, and is one of the key international agreements that guide organisations in achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.  In response to some of the guidelines of CEDAW, Zimbabwe established the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and it was given powers to carry out the investigation and making of recommendations on the removal of barriers to the attainment of full gender equality.