Online Reporter
Moses Magadza
PARLIAMENT should ensure that the Climate Change Management Bill directly protects women and girls as they carry “the heaviest burden of climate change in Zimbabwe”, development practitioner and gender advocate Ms Nyasha Mudavanhu has said.
A joint Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Thematic Committee on Climate Change has continued gathering public input on the Bill as part of nationwide hearings to ensure inclusivity in the law-making process.
Ms Mudavanhu, who is the advocacy and gender adviser for Population Services Zimbabwe, an affiliate of MSI Reproductive Choices, said climate change was not just an environmental issue but also a public health and gender justice issue with severe consequences for women and girls.
“Women and girls in Zimbabwe bear the brunt of climate change impacts. For example, research has shown that pregnant women are significantly affected by extreme heat, and this has a direct bearing on maternal and neonatal health outcomes,” she said.
She cited findings from the organisation’s research across 26 countries, which revealed that 11,5 million women and girls are at risk of losing access to reproductive health services and contraception due to climate-related displacement.
These realities, she said, must be addressed in the Bill through explicit gender-responsive provisions.
“The Bill must explicitly prioritise gender-responsive adaptation measures that protect and empower women and girls,” she said adding: “It must also ensure the integration of sexual and reproductive health in climate policies, especially during and after disasters.”
She warned that post-disaster response systems currently overlook women and girls’ needs, despite them being the most vulnerable.
“Post-disaster recovery in Zimbabwe faces delayed and fragmented response, limited financial resources and lack of integration between short-term disaster relief and long-term adaptation,” Ms Mudavanhu added.
She recommended that the Bill mandate a clear framework for coordinated recovery efforts.
“The Bill must ensure rapid, inclusive post-disaster recovery that prioritises vulnerable populations, especially women and girls,” she said.
She welcomed the establishment of a Loss and Damage Unit in the Bill, describing it as “a positive step towards climate justice”.
She, however, said more must be done.
Zimbabwe is a party to international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the SADC Protocol on Environment and Sustainable Development.
Ms Mudavanhu urged lawmakers to align the Bill with these commitments.
“The Bill should embed these frameworks, particularly those promoting gender equality, health and resilience. It must provide a legal basis for harmonising national climate actions with regional strategies,” she said.
She emphasised building resilience at macro and micro levels, and also proposed the creation of an Adaptation and Resilience Unit under the Bill.
“Setting up an Adaptation and Resilience Unit will help solve many community-level challenges caused by climate change. It will ensure long-term readiness, not just reactive response.”
Sweden, through the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance Project of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, is supporting the ongoing consultations.
