Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) has commended Zimbabwe for its significant progress in institutionalising gender equality, describing it as a beacon of inspiration for the SADC region.
Deliverying her solidarity statement at the official opening of the SADC Parliamentary Forum 57th Plenary Assembly Session in Victoria Falls on Monday, Mrs Helen Pushie Manyeneng, Deputy Speaker of Botswana and RWPC member heaped praises on Zimbabwe’s commitment to gender equality, citing the establishment of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and three dedicated Parliamentary Standing Committees on gender equality as exemplary achievements.
“We note with appreciation, Zimbabwe’s advancement in institutionalising gender equality, through the establishment of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and three dedicated Parliamentary Standing Committees on gender equality, of which was rightly celebrated as a regional best practice,” said Mrs Manyeneng.
She said Zimbabwe’s economic initiatives for women, such as the Zimbabwe Women’s Micro-Finance Bank, are transformative steps toward empowering women.
“This has, of course, opened economic pathways for women through various initiatives such as the Zimbabwe Women’s Micro-Finance Bank,” said Mrs Manyeneng.
She said Zimbabwe’s progress was enough evidence that indeed transformational change is indeed reality as it is already unfolding.
Mrs Manyeneng said the RWPC’s mandate to advocate for equal representation of women in politics and decision-making across SADC, aligns with regional and global commitments like the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the Beijing Declaration, and the Maputo Protocol.
However, she said pledges alone are insufficient.
“We must act now, with clarity and conviction, to close the gap between commitment and change,” she said.
She said the RWPC called for gender-responsive budgeting, robust regional data systems to track progress, and sustained male allyship to dismantle structures of inequality.
The 57th Plenary Assembly Session that runs to June 7 has brought together parliamentarians from across the SADC region to deliberate on critical issues, with embracing Artificial Intelligence taking centre stage.
