adminRuth Butaumocho Gender Editor
The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has been touted as the best ministry to have effectively mainstreamed gender in all its structures throughout Zimbabwe. Gender Links country manager for Zimbabwe Ms Priscilla Maposa, said the ministry, through its municipalities and councils, has been rated the best ministry in gender mainstreaming following its implementation of several initiatives.
These have further strengthened gender responsiveness in service delivery.
Gender Links is a regional organisation that promotes gender justice and equality in the Southern Africa Development Community member countries.
“In the last five years, the local government Ministry has intensified the institutionalisation of gender mainstreaming by issuing of circulars to councils and municipalities to prioritise gender equality.
“They have also come up with a gender policy of promoting women into positions of authority, a commendable move that will go a long way in improving service provision,” said Ms Maposa.
Currently, six percent of the total managerial positions both in the Ministry and 92 local authorities are held by women. To improve on this, the new look local government board, whose composition is 50/50, now ensures that where female and male candidates perform equally in interviews, preference is given to the female candidate.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Sadc Gender Protocol Summit and Awards held in Harare recently, principal director for urban and local authorities, Ms Erica Jones said her ministry was committed to mainstreaming gender, and had since implemented a number of programmes to that effect.
She said local government now had a handbook on state-land-management, which insists that all transactions with the public should include both husband and wife for married couples.
It also had a deliberate policy that 50 percent of all training opportunities in the ministry be given to females to ensure a balance in employment opportunities.
“The drive to fully empower our women remains incomplete if the socio-economic activities are not prioritised. Circulars have been produced and sent to all the 92 local authorities to make gender mainstreaming a key result area for town clerks and chief executive officers,” she said.
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