MPs snub workshop

Herald Reporter
Male legislators on Wednesday snubbed a workshop organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development to discuss the Gender Commission Bill.
Only two male legislators Cde Ricky Mawere-Mubvumbi (Mutoko East-Zanu-PF) and Cde Blessed Geza (Sanyati-Zanu-PF) attended the workshop held in Harare.

Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Oppah Muchinguri expressed concern with the absence of the parliamentarians. She said it was important that they should have attended since the Bill was meant to address issues that affected both males and females.

“Gender does not refer to women and is not exclusively about women. Gender is a term used to describe what it means to be either male or female in a particular society. It is a social construct that speaks to social differences between men and women in terms of behaviour, attitudes, roles and activities in a particular society.

“Therefore when we talk about gender, we are referring to both men and women,” she said.

She said the ministry was concerned with some of the laws, practices and conduct that were inconsistent with the gender provisions in the Constitution.