Zim charts path for gender equality, peace and security

ZIMBABWE has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equality, sustainable peace and inclusive national development through the launch of its second National Action Plan (NAP), informed by United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS 2023-2027).

Adopted globally in 2000, and officially launched in Zimbabwe in May 2024, UNSCR 1325 was a landmark resolution that recognised the changing nature of conflict, where women and girls often bear the greatest burden.

At the launch, Zimbabwe joined 35 other countries with WPS NAP in Africa and within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The resolution calls on all states to systematically address the impacts of conflict on women and girls, include their perspectives when designing intervention programmes, and guarantee their equal participation and full involvement in efforts to maintain and promote peace and security.

UN Women country representative in Zimbabwe Fatou Lo notes that the WPS is a strong framework for more peaceful and sustainable societies.

Addressing the triple nexus, according to Lo, has transformative potential to move from gender inequalities to gender justice.

UN Women states that, under the sustainable development agenda, inclusion and peace catalyse equal rights for women. That the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also believes that Agenda 2030 is dependent on WPS and NAP adoption by the country is testament to the commitment to women’s participation not only in peace, but also in political spaces.

Importantly, UNSCR 1325 is not only relevant for countries experiencing armed conflict; it applies to all contexts, including peaceful nations like Zimbabwe. The resolution encourages states to adopt measures and strategies to tackle a wide range of security challenges that affect women’s lives every day, such as domestic violence, migration, climate change and uneven economic development. It also goes beyond women’s participation in conflict resolution to their inclusion as equal actors in peacebuilding and peacekeeping.

Zimbabwe’s new NAP brings this commitment home, anchored in the vision of “a peaceful and inclusive Zimbabwe where women enjoy gender equality for sustainable peace, security and development”.

Covering the period 2023 to 2027, the plan aims to strengthen women’s participation and leadership in decision-making pertaining to peace and security, ensuring that women’s voices are heard at every level of society.

The NAP is a significant step forward for Zimbabwe’s gender equality agenda and its alignment with the provisions of UNSCR 1325.

It is designed to address the impacts of conflict on women and girls, and to systematically include their needs and perspectives when designing intervention programmes, in order to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. The NAP is built around four practical pillars: prevention, protection, participation, and relief and recovery.

The prevention pillar focuses on peace education, awareness raising and developing gender-inclusive early warning systems to help prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other forms of conflict.

The protection pillar commits to strengthening laws that protect women and girls from SGBV and other harmful practices, while upholding their sexual and reproductive rights.

The participation pillar aims to increase women’s presence in decision-making spaces — in politics, public service and crucially, within the security sector — so that women can play leading roles in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and recovery.

Through the relief and recovery pillar, the NAP promotes gender-sensitive relief efforts and ensures women have equal access to resources, programmes and opportunities for economic recovery and rehabilitation in times of crisis or disaster.

Placing women at the centre of peace and security is essential if Zimbabwe is to achieve true and lasting peace. There is need to ensure that women are at the forefront of decision-making processes related to peace and security.

The NAP is a critical step towards achieving that goal.

The Zimbabwe Gender Commission notes that the new NAP aligns with the National Gender Policy, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the proposed NDS2, and Vision 2030, all of which uphold gender equality and women’s empowerment as cross-cutting priorities for inclusive growth and social progress.

Regionally and globally, the plan complements the SADC Revised Protocol on Gender and Development; the African union (AU) Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women, more commonly known as the AU Maputo Protocol; the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

It contributes directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where SDG 5 on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment; and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions are referenced.

While the NAP was developed and adopted by the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprises Development, with support from Irish Aid and UN Women, this requires amplified support to GoZ to ensure implementation as any peace agenda without women at the table is futile.

Effective implementation remains the true test.  One of the key challenges is ensuring that the NAP is implemented effectively and all stakeholders are held accountable. There is a need for continued awareness-raising on the NAP and its priority areas. There is also need to translate the NAP into vernacular languages to ensure that no one is left behind.

The WPS NAP, therefore, needs to be institutionalised across different Government ministries. A dedicated communication strategy will be key to build widespread awareness and ownership of the plan among communities and other stakeholders across the country.

It is essential that the country creates awareness and ownership of the NAP among all stakeholders within ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and beyond. This will ensure everyone works towards the same goal of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The launch of the NAP presents a vital opportunity for Zimbabwe to position itself as a country that actively promotes gender equality; empowers women and girls, in addition to men and boys; and recognises women’s leadership in building resilient, peaceful communities.

The NAP is a critical tool for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. With effective implementation and coordination, the NAP can help in addressing the impacts of conflict on communities, while recognising the increased vulnerability of women and girls in efforts to promote sustainable peace and security.

As Zimbabwe moves forward, the message is clear: True peace and security are only possible when women and girls experience personal security, enjoy equality and their voices are heard.

This article was prepared by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission for The Sunday Mail.