Chronicle Editor
Uzile Mkwananzi, Sunday News Reporter
THE Gwanda Rural District Council has called for involvement of youths and women in community engagements meant to discuss development issues, saying their participation was important in capturing their aspirations.
The call comes amid concerns that youths and women were not participating in community meetings held by councillors and village heads for the purpose of inputting into the ward development plans that are then used in the decision making process by the RDC.
Speaking to Sunday News in an interview, Gwanda RDC chief executive officer Mr Ranganani Sibanda said the importance of youth and women involvement in the decision making process should never be over-emphasised.
“Youth and women must participate in coming up with developmental projects. These two groups are the ones that are mainly affected as they are economically active and do most of the work. Their input and contributions should therefore be heard so as to make life better for them and the community at large,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said council had a gender committee that puts the needs of women and the youth first, as their contribution to the society was valuable.
“The council has a gender community which has been running for several years. They tackle and deal with issues that affect women and children. The establishment of the committee was influenced by the women empowerment movement that also went on to involve the needs of children and youths. Through this committee the plans that they come up with are also included in the devolution funds budget,” said Mr Sibanda.
He added that the continuous building of waiting mothers’ shelter at various clinics as well as water points was meant to reduce the distances that women and children should travel to get services and water and was made a priority through such participation from the affected populations.
“Through their councillors, wards bring development plans to the RDC. Councillors mobilise the community for meetings on updates and plans for the future. The community initiates the programmes and as the RDC we join and assist mainly with funding since the community would have shown the urgency of these projects.
“Village development plans come through the village head who feeds into the Ward Development Committee. Meetings are held on a quarterly basis to get feedback and projects from community members,” said Mr Sibanda.
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