By Staff Reporter
THE Economic Justice For Women’s Project (EJWP) Friday morning handed over a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe demanding the enactment of a validated National Gender Policy as a matter of urgency.
A national gender policy is a government framework that outlines strategies and actions to achieve gender equality and equity, ensuring that both men and women benefit equally from development and participate fully in all aspects of society.
The women’s rights lobby group petition contends that the The National Gender Policy (2013-2017), and its subsequent revisions dating up to 2022, was developed to fulfil Zimbabwe’s obligations at regional and international level that promote gender equality and gender equity.
After its lapse in 2022, Zimbabwe has not yet enacted another policy blueprint to dictate the way forward in attaining gender based goals for the country.
“While past efforts, including the National Gender Policy, have sought to address these challenges, the policy’s lapse has left a critical gap in the national gender machinery. This absence weakens institutional accountability and the integration of gender-responsive policies in national development planning,” reads EJWP’s petition.
The women’s rights lobby group contends that the lapse of the Policy has resulted in Zimbabwe not having a valid National Gender Policy to date, creating significant gap in the country’s gender equality framework and leaving women and girls’ rights inadequately unprotected.
Women in Zimbabwe, EJWP said continue to face systemic inequalities despite legal and policy frameworks aimed at promoting gender equality and remain underrepresented in decision-making, face high rates of gender-based violence, and experience economic marginalization due to limited access to land, capital, and formal employment.
The renowned women’s rights advocacy grouping said the lack of a valid National Gender Policy means that critical issues affecting women and girls will not receive the prioritisation required within the broader developmental agenda, thus undermining the progress made in the country in ensuring gender equality and inclusive development.
The petition said this is more as critical as Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) which is the most comprehensive global policy framework for the rights of women.
“Wherefore yourpetitioners pray that your Honourable House will be pleased to take our case into favourable consideration, and grant any other such relief as it may deem fit,” EJWP pleaded with Parly.
