Rural women must take part in decision-making

At functions to mark the day the officiating authorities are government ministers responsible for women and gender. In Zimbabwe the officiating authority is the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development and Honourable Dr Olivia Muchena being the responsible minister. Apart from that there should be a speech delivered by the representative of the UN Secretary General.

Last year, 2011 the International Women’s Day Commemorations in Zimbabwe took place in Chinhoyi and the guest of honour was the Vice-President Joice Mujuru. This year the commemorations will take place at Siachilaba Business Centre in Binga on the 16 March and the host is the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Matabeleland North Province.

The international theme for this year is “empower rural women- end hunger and poverty.” The national theme is “empower women in rural areas- eradicate poverty and hunger”. The proposed sub-themes are “support women to fight poverty” and “end violence” and “invest in women for sustainable national growth.” This is in line with the Commission on the Status of Women, New York Resolution 2012.

Prior to the New York meeting, Sadc countries met in Johannesburg, South Africa on 21-22 February at which the writer represented Zimbabwe. Sadc countries came up with a resolution on the empowerment of rural women and their role in development and poverty and hunger eradication.
On the day of the commemorations, women often organise a variety of celebrations ranging from conferences, street parades, marches, drama and poetry sessions to candlelight vigils for peace to mark this important annual occasion which pays tribute to the very long, often very difficult and sometimes despairing journey women have travelled so far in search of gender equity and equality. Women have been marginalised over the years in terms of ownership and control of resources and their low representation in decision making positions; women are also vulnerable to domestic violence and to the HIV and Aids pandemic.

The roots of International Women’s Day can be traced to March 1857 when hundreds of women working in garment and textile factories in New York downed their tools.
The strike was the women’s way of protesting against low wages, long working hours and inhuman working conditions. Even today, some women work for long unpaid hours. Another key moment was when the Socialist International Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark called for a day specifically dedicated to recognise the struggle for women’s rights.

The UN, however, finally in 1975 declared 8 March as the International Women’s Day so that women the world over can celebrate their successes and victories. Besides concentrating on the latter, women also look ahead in terms of gaps, their aspirations, visions collectively and as individuals. International Women’s Day enables women also to come together as a unified entity and place their demands for improvement in the quality of their lives before their governments.

After the national commemorations the various Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development provincial, district and even ward commemorations can take place. The ministry works in collaboration with its developmental partners and other government departments as well as the private sector.
This year the focus is on rural women because in developing countries, rural women are critical to addressing hunger, malnutrition and poverty at household level. The participation of rural women in agricultural activities and rural enterprises fuel local and global economies.

It is unfortunate that at that level, rural women lack equal access to opportunities and financial resources such as credit and the right to own and inherit property. It is imperative to make economic and other resources available to women as any serious shift towards sustainable development requires gender equity and equality.
Apart from that rural women spend considerable time performing household chores, caring for sick family members as well as participating in agricultural activities. All this is done without pay.

It is very important for women to take part in the formal labour market. Research has indicated that in terms of formal employment there are more men than women in the formal labour market. This is also coupled with other factors such as lower access to schooling by girls and their low retention levels in school.
Apart from that, the Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without the full and equal participation of rural women in decision making. Goal Number One for example calls for the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. The main actors in agricultural production are women who contribute around 70 percent of the agricultural output in Zimbabwe. It is important therefore for rural women to participate in decision-making at the highest levels up to local government so that they can also lobby for policies and programmes that help meet their needs.

Rural women are also disproportionately affected by climate change due to the various social roles they play, discrimination as well as poverty. If given adequate education rural women can be agents for change in terms of environmental degradation and agricultural biodiversity. It is therefore important for development programmes to target both men and women including financial mechanisms so that both men and women can embark on various projects on an equal footing.

UN Resolution 55/2 focuses on women, the girl child and HIV and Aids. Sadc countries also came up with the Sadc resolution on the position of women and girls and HIV/Aids. It was noted that the HIV and Aids pandemic had a devastating scale and impact on women and girls. There is dire need to protect rural women’s rights and bearing in mind too that HIV is a critical problem for rural development.

HIV and Aids has a more negative impact on rural women as they are forced to care for family and community members living with and affected by HIV usually with very limited resources as well as longer distances to the nearest health centres.
Worldwide 60 percent of people living with HIV are women and girls and young women account for 26 percent of all new HIV infections.

This year’s theme therefore is befitting bearing in mind the contributions to national development that are made by the rural women.
As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day today, let us reflect on the various empowerment initiatives that the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development has done and is doing so that both men and women are envisaged as equal partners in national development.

Let us all join hands as we commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day.