National Gender Policy 2013 - 2017

THE NATIONAL GENDER POLICY (2013-2017) THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development POLICY VISION A gender just society in which men and women enjoy equity, contribute and benefit as equal partners in the development of the country. POLICY GOAL To eradicate gender discrimination and inequalities in all spheres of life and development. 5 Education and Training Constitutional and Legal Rights Politics and Decision Making Gender and Environment Health Gender Based Violence Media and ICTS Economic Empowerment TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................................................................... I FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................................................... I PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. IV 1.0 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. THE LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................................... 2 2.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.2. ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC AREAS ..................................................................................................................................... 3 (i) Gender in Governance (Representation and Participation) ....................................................................... 3 (ii) Gender in Education and Training: ............................................................................................................. 4 (iii) Gender in Productive Resources and Employment: ................................................................................... 4 (iv) Gender Based Violence (GBV): ................................................................................................................... 6 (v) Gender in Health and HIV and AIDS: ............................................................................................................... 6 (vi) Gender and Peace Building and Conflict Resolution: ................................................................................. 7 (vii) Gender, Environment and Climate Change: .......................................................................................... 9 3. THEMATIC AREAS ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 4.0. VISION, GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES ........................................................................................ 11 4.1. VISION ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 4.2. GOAL .................................................................................................................................................................. 11 4.3. POLICY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................... 11 4.4. PRINCIPLES GUIDING THE POLICY ............................................................................................................................. 12 5.0. POLICY STRATEGIES .............................................................................................................................................. 13 5.1. GENDER, CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL RIGHTS ........................................................................................................... 13 5.3. GENDER, POLITICS AND DECISION MAKING ................................................................................................................ 15 5.4. GENDER AND HEALTH ............................................................................................................................................ 16 5.5. GENDER, EDUCATION AND TRAINING ........................................................................................................................ 17 5.6. GENDER BASED VIOLENCE ...................................................................................................................................... 18 5.7. GENDER, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE ........................................................................................................ 19 5.8. GENDER, MEDIA, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................... 20 6.0 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE NGP ........................................................................ 20 7.0. MONITORING AND EVALUATION ......................................................................................................................... 23 8.0 TIMEFRAME OF THE NGP ..................................................................................................................................... 24 DEFINITION OF TERMS ................................................................................................................................................. 24 i ACRONYMS AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AU African Union BBWEEF Broad Based Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework CARMMA Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa CRPR Convention on Civil and Political Rights ECOSOC Convention on Economic, and Social and Cultural Rights GBV Gender Based Violence GERPMI Gender-Responsive Economic Policy Management Initiative GMPS Gender and Media Progress Study GPA Global Political Agreement HIV Human Immuno Virus HTF Health Transition Fund IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development ICT Information and Communication Technology LFS Labour Force Survey MDG Millennium Development Goals MMR Maternal Mortality Tate MWAGCD Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development MoESAC Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture MTP Medium Term Plan NER Net Enrolment Ratio NGP National Gender Policy NPRC National Peace and Reconciliation Council POTRAZ Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe SADC Southern African Development Community SME Small to Medium Enterprise UN UNDP United Nation United Nations Development Programme ZEDS Zimbabwe Economic Development Strategy ZDHS Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey ZIMSTAT Zimbabwe Statistical Agency ZWRCN ZIMBABWE Women Resource Centre and Network i FOREWORD (President) ii PREFACE (Minister of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This second National Gender Policy replaces the first National Gender Policy of 2004. The first National Gender Policy gave way to a range of initiatives meant to address gender inequalities. The ethos of Growth with Equity underpinned the 2004 NGP which was implemented under four thematic areas namely – (i) Women in Politics and Decision Making; (ii) Women and the Economy; (iii) Education and Training of Women; and (iv) Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women. The widely consultative review of the 2004 NGP revealed that during the 8 years of implementation of the 2004 NGP, five main achievements were recorded namely (i) the passing of a series of legislation to operationalise the policy, (ii) institutional and structural reforms that saw the national gender machinery being streamlined and strengthened i.e. through the creation of a separate Ministry responsible for gender and women affairs; (iii) institutionalisation of processes for gender mainstreaming including gender budgeting; (iv) the development and launch of the framework for broad based women’s economic empowerment; and (v) far-reaching constitutional provisions for gender equality and equity. However, despite these achievements, representation of women remains below the gender parity ideal as shown by the skewed statistics from education, employment, commerce and political and economic decision making and the increasing cases of gender based violence. This second NGP seeks to address the shortcomings of the 2004 NGP and the emerging issues prevailing under the changing political, economic and social contexts at local, regional and global levels. At international and regional levels, some of the key developments post 2004 that set out new priorities include: (i) the 2005 Beijing+10 global review that made recommendations to areas that required special attention and action; (ii) the submission of the combined State Party CEDAW Report; (iii) the development a national follow- up plan on Rio, and (iv) the 2008 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development that set out 28 substantive targets for achieving gender equality by 2015. The key developments at national level include (i) the elaborate new Constitutional provisions with a thrust on gender equality; (ii) the Medium Term Plan (2012-2015) the national economic development strategy which introduces a development paradigm emphasising on gender responsive budgets and gender mainstreaming into economic activities and commits to advancing equal participation in productive sectors; (iii) The indigenisation drive which motivated the development and implementation of the Indigenization and Empowerment Policy; (iv) the 2011 Broad Based Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework (BBWEEF), a mechanism for women’s economic empowerment applicable across all sectors and levels of society; and (v) the Land Reform programme implemented over the past 10 years, whose gains will, to a great extent, be meaningfully consolidated under new gender policy provisions. Other changes that further pronounce gender disparities include technology advancements and climate change. The developments stated above have implications on gender equality and make a new NGP imperative for the effective advancement of gender equality and equity. This second National Gender Policy therefore seeks to achieve a gender just society where men and women enjoy equality and equity and v participate as equal partners in the development process of the country. The policy goal is “To eradicate gender discrimination and inequalities in all spheres of life and development.” Eight priority areas were identified namely: Gender, Constitutional and Legal Rights; Gender and Economic Empowerment; Gender, Politics and Decision Making; Gender and Health; Gender, Education and Training; Gender Based Violence; Gender and Environment; and Gender, Media and ICTS. These thematic areas form the basis for the development of policy objectives and strategies for the period 2013-2017. This NGP is underpinned by principles of gender justice, equality, integration and inclusiveness. 1 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1. Introduction The quest for gender equity has evolved from advocacy, negotiation and consensus building, awareness rising on the importance of gender equity, to a point where gender considerations are an obligation in development programming and implementation. The second National Gender Policy for the Government of Zimbabwe replaces the first NGP crafted in 2004. The 2004 NGP was the first policy framework to provide a gender perspective to the principle of “Growth with Equity” that had been adopted by Zimbabwe to address the gender and race inequities. Achievements during the tenure of the 2004 NGP policy are notable. The main achievement was the increase in awareness of gender equality and equity as an imperative for social justice and sound economics. This has seen earnest initiatives for gender mainstreaming across all sectors. The other achievement relates to the consolidation of the planning and implementation frameworks and structures to effectively pursue the objectives of the policy. These include among others, the establishment of the Gender Department within the relevant ministry, the establishment of Gender Focal Points in all line ministries and parastatals, the development and implementation of the Gender Budgeting that saw the creation of the Women’s Fund; the initiation of the Gender Responsive Economic Policy Management initiative; and the launch of the BBWEEF. A number of sector specific achievements were also recorded e.g. in Education, Health, HIV and AIDS and Governance. There has been an emergence of new players and strong partnerships have been forged between public and private sectors, international development agencies and a range of other non state actors. The need for a new Gender Policy is apparent for two main reasons. Firstly, important targets that were set in 2004 GNP, the 2008 SADC Protocol and the Millennium Development Goals, are yet to be achieved. Secondly, new development priorities are emerging at global and regional levels whilst the social, political and economic landscape in Zimbabwe has changed. It is acknowledged that the pathway to gender equity and equality ensues through a process whose course should adhere to ever-changing contexts. The guiding policy frameworks and strategies therefore need to be continuously assessed and reviewed for them to remain relevant and effective within changing contexts. The most notable national landscape change is the new Constitution whose provision for gender equality is very explicit. Other priorities are emerging through the 2008 SADC Protocol, the commitments towards addressing Climate Change, Zimbabwe’s Land Reform, Economic Recovery Programme, Indigenisation and Empowerment framework and other sector specific national initiatives. All these spell out new commitments that necessitated a review of the 2004 Policy. The mission for gender equality and equity needs to be aligned to this landscape. This NGP therefore provides a new framework for gender equality and equity. It outlines Zimbabwe’s vision for a gender just society and how the nation should strive towards this ideal. It details the overarching principles, eight priority thematic areas, policy objectives and strategies. It also defines the 2 institutional arrangements through which the policy will be implemented and a framework for monitoring and evaluating the progress and achievements of this policy. 1.2. The Legal and Policy framework The country has ratified most of the fundamental conventions designed to achieve gender justice across sectors. The NGP is designed to translate and deliver on the provisions of an array of international, regional and national provisions stated below. International Policy Framework: Zimbabwe is part to a number of international conventions that provide for gender equality. These are the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1991); the Beijing Declaration on the Platform for Action (1995); the Convention on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR); the Equal Remuneration Convention; the Convention on Prohibition of Discrimination in Occupations, Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Convention on Economic, and Social and Cultural Rights (ECOSOC). Regional Policy Framework: In 2008, Zimbabwe ratified the protocol to the 2003 African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women. Zimbabwe is also part to the 2004 Solemn Declaration on Gender and Equality in Africa. In 1997 Zimbabwe ratified the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Gender and Development Protocol and subsequently ratified the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development which was adopted by SADC in 2008. The protocol advocates for gender parity in all sectors and sets out 28 substantive targets for achieving gender equality by 2015. Zimbabwe also subscribes to the COMESA Gender Policy which fosters gender equality and equity at all levels of regional integration and cooperation. National Legislative and Policy Framework: Zimbabwe has made significant strides in amending and enacting legislation and has passed out 17 pieces of legislation to advance the gender equality and equity objective. These include Matrimonial Causes Act (1987); Maintenance Act (1999); Administration of Estate Act (1997); Maintenance Act (1999); Sexual Offences Act (2001), Education Act (2004), Labour Act, [Chapter 28:01]; Criminal Law Act (2006); Domestic Violence Act (2007). The 2004 Public Sector Gender Policy put in place Gender Focal Points in all Ministries and parastatals and in 2012 dialogue was initiated to set up a Gender Commission. Zimbabwe’s Constitution: The Constitution of Zimbabwe adopted in 2013 is widely acknowledged for its firm commitment to gender equality. The affirmative action provisions further assert the new Constitution’s resolve for gender inequality redress. The constitution reaffirms earlier commitments shown by the 2005 Constitutional Amendment # 17 which prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sex. Chapter 2 on National Objectives spells out gender balance as one of the objectives to guide the state, all institutions and agencies of Government. Throughout the statement of 26 national objectives, equality is emphasised and where appropriate women and girls are specifically mentioned. The Bill of Rights in Chapter 4 of the new Constitution recognises that men and women have a right to equal treatment, including right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres. It 3 accords to women the right to custody and guardianship, and makes void all laws, customs, cultural practices and traditions that infringe on the rights of women and girls. Certain sections are further elaborated to ensure certainty in the application of these rights. The policy and legislative framework and the prevailing social, economic and political developments provide a firm basis to pursue gender equality and equity defined in this NGP. 2.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS 2.1. Overview Since 2004, significant progress has been made towards providing the legislative, planning and implementation frameworks for gender equality programming. From these developments there are positive outcomes namely – (i) increase in awareness that has stimulated gender mainstreaming in public programmes including economic and fiscal planning; (ii) the gender gaps are closing in and in some instances gender parity has been attained e.g. primary school enrolment and literacy; (iii) increased participation of women in political decision making; (iv) reduction in HIV and AIDS infection rates particularly among women. Despite these achievements, Zimbabwe is still ranking lowly in gender equality ranking. The 2011 Human Development Report revealed that the Gender Inequality Index (GII) is at 0.583 compared to an ideal of zero. This indicates the generally low status of women with respect to reproductive health, empowerment, access, control and ownership of economic resources and economic opportunities, and participation in decision-making. An intensive internal policy consultation and review of the current achievements also confirmed this position. A clear picture of the current situation is best demonstrated by an analysis of the 28 substantive targets for achieving gender equality outlined in the 2008 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development accountability framework. Guided by these 28 targets, the current situation relating to progress and gaps in Zimbabwe is summarised in the next section. 2.2. Analysis of specific areas (i) Gender in Governance (Representation and Participation): The past eight years have recorded a series of mechanisms to ensure a 50:50 balance in representation and participation by 2015. There has been a corresponding increase in awareness and sensitivity to gender representation in public institutions in addition to increased sensitivity to equal representation in development planning at grassroots. The constitution of the Senate and Provincial Government is based on the proportional representation principles. In some instances the 30% quota set by the African Union (AU) has been achieved or surpassed. For example, statistics from ZWRCN show that, in Public Service in 2012, women represented 56% of employees, the percentage of women employed as Ambassadors and in Missions was 30%, Public Service Commissioners was 67%, Deputy Directors to Principal Directors in Public Service averaged above 60% and Magistrates 41%. Advocacy on equal representation has resulted in the inclusion of far reaching provisions in the new Constitution. 4 50:50 representation in decision making positions in commissions and other elective bodies is a key equality provision of the new constitution. This new constitutional mandate is strong rationale for the development of new policy mechanisms. The reality however still falls far short of the target as there still exist disparities in a number of areas. Some of the statistics that highlight this disparity are: Public Service Institutions % Women Parliament of Zimbabwe House of Assembly 24 Parliament of Zimbabwe Senate 14 Cabinet Ministers 20 Permanent Secretaries 26 Public service Principal Directors 26 Public service Directors 33 Public service Deputy Directors 28 Supreme and High Court Judges 29 ZRP Deputy Commisioners 25 Zimbabwe Defense Forces Highest Levels 0 (ii) Gender in Education and Training: The right to education for all has been a long standing commitment for Zimbabwe. As such, Zimbabwe boasts of the highest literacy rates in the region. The commitment has been reaffirmed in the new Constitution’s Founding Principles Chapter 1.27.2 which asserts the need to ensure that girls are afforded an equal opportunity with boys. The Ministry of Education Sport and Culture (MoESAC), ZDHS 2010/11 statistics reveal that, overall, 94% of women and 96 % of men are literate with the 15-24 years age group recording 99.6% literacy. Zimbabwe has achieved gender parity at primary and secondary school levels in terms of enrolment and completion rates. The net enrolment ratio (NER) for both boys and girls reached parity at 91 percent in 2009. However the outcomes at tertiary level are still below the parity target as shown by the university enrolments. According to Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education 2011 statistics, although female university enrolment increased from 23% in 2006 to 41% in 2011, the figures fall below the targeted 50%. The main challenge in sustaining these achievements is school drop outs. This needs to be addressed so that the current and future parity achievements in education are not lost. School dropout is caused by long distances travelled especially in newly resettled areas, incapacity to pay fees mostly due to orphan hood and unemployment of guardians, pregnancy and early marriage. Gender stereotyping of subjects in secondary school level, and courses at tertiary level, also presents challenges. (iii) Gender in Productive Resources and Employment: Zimbabwe is committed to economic equity, which has been reemphasised in the new Constitution. The main target is to ensure equal 5 participation in economic policy formulation and implementation and ensuring equal access to benefits and opportunities in trade and entrepreneurship, wage employment and control of productive resources. Post 2004, the Government of Zimbabwe pursued a number of gender responsive economic policies and programmes. The main ones were: (i) the Zimbabwe Economic Development Strategy (ZEDS) (2007 – 2010); (ii) STERP I and STERP II (2009 – 2010) (iii) Mid Term Plan (MTP) (2011 – 2015); (iv) Gender-Responsive Economic Policy Management Initiative (GERPMI); and (v) the Broad Based Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework (BBWEEF). These actions have yielded mixed results as follows:  Poverty: Zimbabwe is no exception to the global increase in poverty levels where women are poorer than men. 68% of female headed households in Zimbabwe live under the Total Consumption Poverty Line according to a 2010 UNDP Report.  Trade and industry: Although there is generally lack of statistics, reports indicate limited participation of women in the formal trade sector  Employment: Statistics show the limited access to decent jobs by women o According to the 2011 Labour Force Survey (LFS), the total employment to population ratio is lower for females (72.3%) compared to males (83.9%). o 70% of agriculture labour, characterised by lowest wages, is provided by women. The share of women in wage or paid employment in the non agricultural sector in relation to total wage employment in the non agricultural sector was 24%. o Real income of women is three times less than that of men, and women have a higher structural unemployment rate of 70% compared to 56% for men. o The Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2010-11 shows that 37 percent of women, as compared to 62 percent of men, are formally employed.  Control and access to resources: Latest statistics on the Land Reform Programme from the University of Zimbabwe revealed that women constitute 18% of beneficiaries under A1 and 12 % under A2 falling far short of the gender parity ideal. Zimbabwe recognises that economic growth programmes that target women (Womenomics) make good economics. As such, the economic empowerment of women has become a key priority for the Government of Zimbabwe to achieve sustainable economic growth. In the Medium Term Economic Recovery Plan (MTP) the government expressly commits to advancing the participation of women. It is through this commitment that the BBWEEF which sets out strategies and targets for economic growth through empowering women in various sectors was launched. Notable progress towards women’s economic empowerment include among others:  Establishment of a Women’s Fund supported by Treasury.  Development and implementation of Women’s Savings and Lending Schemes by various development agencies.  Launch of Women in Business platforms and Women’s Associations in key economic sectors and nurturing of partnerships between these platforms and the Government. 6 (iv) Gender Based Violence (GBV): In line with the global commitments, Zimbabwe, post 2004, stepped up action against domestic violence, abuse and rape through a series of legislative and policy reforms and programmes. These include - the enactment of the Criminal law Act (2006); Domestic Violence Act (2007) and the setting up of the Anti-Domestic Violence Council to enforce this law; the putting in place of mechanisms to effectively implement the Sexual Offences Act of 2001; and the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence and other campaigns. The provisions in the 2013 Constitution uphold this commitment. Chapter 4 of the new Constitution, Part 2, Sections 51, 52 and 53 provide for the right to dignity, personal security and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment and all forms of violence. Part 3 further elaborates on the rights of children to be protected from any form of abuse. The period has seen a number of positive outcomes. These include increase in media coverage and public awareness; increase in the number of legal cases; stiffer penalties on sexual offences and an increase in the number of organisations (including men’s forums) supporting victims of gender based violence, trafficking and other forms of abuse. The intended result of prohibiting all forms of GBV is however far from being achieved as the cases continue to increase. More women (and young girls), than men (and young boys), suffer more from various forms of violence as shown by the following statistics from the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS, 2010/11):  In 60% of the cases, the victims are women and girls.  About 43.4% of the women population experienced physical and/or sexual violence.  51.3% of girls aged 19 years and below have their first sexual experience forced against their will. Workplace sexual harassment, economic disempowerment, unemployment, orphan hood, cultural practices and the code of silence are factors that continue to hinder efforts to eliminate GBV in Zimbabwe. (v) Gender in Health and HIV and AIDS: The Constitution guarantees the right to health care, food, water and shelter for all. The National Health Strategy, Reproductive Health Policy and the National HIV and AIDS Policy all point to the importance of equality and particular focus on women. Health and HIV and AIDS service delivery is a key concern for women because they play an important role in parental and health care. A poor health, HIV and AIDS delivery system will impact negatively more on women than men. Zimbabwe has made efforts to address the issues related to gender in the health sector with the aim of (i) reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 75% by 2015; (ii) ensuring hygiene, sanitation and nutritional needs are met for all; (iii) attaining universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment; and (iv) recognition and supporting care givers. Several supportive initiatives and programmes are in place, such as antenatal care, postnatal care, decentralising antiretroviral treatment, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes. Through the Health Transition Fund (HTF) and the adoption of the Campaign on 7 Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), government is highly committed to improving maternal health in Zimbabwe. Some of the positive outcomes include: (i) improvement in prevalence of HIV declining from 33% in 1990, to 15.6% in 2007, and to 13.6 in 2010 for ages between 15-49 years; (ii) increased access to treatment; and (iii) free maternal care for women in rural areas under the Health Transition Fund. Despite these achievements, the “health for all” objective is far from being realised and large gender disparities continue to exist. The key indicators recorded by the 2011 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS) reveal that:  The MMR has increased from 612/100,000 in 2005-06 to 960/100,000 in 2010-11 according to the respective ZDHS years’ reports. This translates to about 12 women dying every day and 374 every month from pregnancy related complications.  According to the 2010/11 surveys, MMR for women with tertiary education was lower than for those who had no higher learning and that, in relation to the occupational status, pregnant women in domestic service are more likely to die from complications than women in professional positions.  The number of births attended by a skilled health worker shows a negative trend, dropping from 69% in 2009 to 66.2% in 2010-11  HIV prevalence among women stands at 18% and men at 12% across the population. The average prevalence rate for 15 to 24 year olds is 5.5% (2011), again much higher in women (7.8%) than in men (3.6%). This is despite the fact that more women (52%) have comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS than men (47%). The statistics show a worsening trend with women in a worse off position. It is therefore apparent that efforts to reduce gender disparities need to intensify. (vi) Gender and Peace Building and Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution: Peace building and conflict resolution is a fairly new area of emphasis for Zimbabwe. Over the years Zimbabwe has generally enjoyed relative peace and calm hence the issue received less focus. However, peace building and conflict resolution have become central with the increasing need for tolerance, acceptance and respect for diversity as the country pursues its commitment to pluralism in a multiparty and democratic state where citizens are free to demand the recognition of their rights. Women constitute 52% of the population, and over 70% of the rural population, and hence are more likely to be impacted negatively by conflict and lack of peace. The role of women in peace and conflict resolution processes is therefore critical for their social, economic and political empowerment. A number of international frameworks set out the parameters for implementing peace building recognise the important role of women. These include the United Nations Security Council 8 Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security of 2000; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1889, and 1820 of 2008. The main regional peace building mechanism that Zimbabwe is party to the African Union Policy on Post – Conflict Reconstruction and Development. The role of women in peace-building and conflict-resolution is enshrined in the SADC Gender Protocol, article 28 which states that: ‘State Parties shall endeavour to put in place measures to ensure that women have equal representation and participation in key decision making positions in conflict resolution and peace building processes by 2015 in accordance with UNCSR 1325 provision. At national level, realising the importance of peace and reconciliation, an Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration was established, under which Zimbabwe National Policy Framework for Peace and Reconciliation is established. The framework provides for the establishment of a National Peace and Reconciliation Council (NPRC) made up of nine members, four of whom must be women. The Constitution makes provision for the establishment of a National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. Although the space for the involvement of women in peace building and conflict resolution has been provided, the participation of women in peace negotiations is low as demonstrated by the following:  In the processes leading to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) of 2008 that formed the Inclusive Government in Zimbabwe, there was only one woman in the formal negotiation process.  Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in the world where the number of female peacekeepers from the police force nearly meets the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations’ recommendation of at least 20% female representation. Women representation on these missions nonetheless still remains low.  On average women constitute only 25% representation in senior positions in the Police force – an institution with an important role to play in peace building and conflict prevention and management. While there are efforts to establish institutions to deal with peace building and national healing, more work remains to strengthen the involvement of women. There is scope for involving women in peace building through their involvement in democracy and governance institutions and processes; security matters; justice; psycho-social recovery; and entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic recovery and social change. (vii) Gender and Media, Information and Communication Technology: One of the spectacular landscape changes in the region has been the opening up of the print and electronic media sectors. In Zimbabwe, media, information and communication are considered important mechanisms to deliver the social and economic needs of development. Zimbabwe therefore 9 strives to ensure universal access by both men and women to media and ICTs. Zimbabwe has developed gender sensitive ICT and Media policies that are buttressed by the provisions in the Constitution which provides for media freedom. Engendering media and ICTs planning is a critical commitment as revealed in the international, regional and national frameworks on ICTs. The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development Article 31 encourages State parties to put in place gender sensitive ICT policies and laws in order to ensure women’s and girl’s access to information and communication technology. The protocol also aims to promote equal representation of men and women in ownership and in decision making structures of media, in accordance with Article 12.1 that provides for equal representation of women in decision making positions by 2015. Despite efforts to engender policies and ensure universal access and equity in ownership and decision making in media and ICTs, gender parity is yet to be attained. Statistics from Gender Links 2010 Southern African Gender and Media Progress Study (GMPS) and the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (2011) reveal that:  The proportion of women sources of news is 11%  Media coverage on issues related to gender is only 0.4% of content and women politician’s voices in media comprised a mere 5%.  There are more women radio reporters (24%) and fewer print reporters (11%) when compared to regional figures of 30% and 25% respectively.  Male journalists get better working deals - 82% are more likely than women (18%) to be employed in full-time with open-ended contracts.  Only 17% females work in editorial departments, well below the regional average of 42% and 11% of newsrooms are manned by women managers.  Media exposure remains low in Zimbabwe with only 8% of females and 17% of males having access to media, such as newspapers, television and radio.  Whilst women population is 70% of the total rural population, internet access is a mere 0.07%. This shows the level of access to internet for women in rural areas. This is despite the increase in internet penetration rate from 15% in 2011 to 20% in 2012 according to POTRAZ. Language barriers, sexual harassment, patriarchy, cultural norms, and lack of income, education and poverty among women prevent women from positively and optimally utilising media and ICT as a development tool. (viii) Gender, Environment and Climate Change: Climate change as a development subject matter is critical for Zimbabwe where 70% of the population are small holder farmers and rely on agriculture for livelihoods. The economy is agro based, hence subject to climate change risks. The largest group of people in farming activities are women (86%). Developing countries like Zimbabwe are increasingly becoming vulnerable to climate change and environmental 10 degradation whose effects threaten to erode human freedoms and limit choice. The gender differences between men and women imply that their vulnerabilities differ. Since women are already in a disadvantaged position, effects of climate change threaten to further increase the inequality. The reliance of women on natural resources for food and income, limited access to productive resources, combined with their disadvantaged position in society increases their vulnerability to climate change induced distress. It is also important to note that women have a significant role to play in climate change adaptation and mitigation as they acquired environmental management skills through experience in utilising natural resources. It is therefore imperative to make gender considerations in climate change and environment conservation strategies. Apart from gender mainstreaming, a cross cutting approach to programming, Zimbabwe has not developed any other framework to comprehensively address gender inequalities in environment conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Zimbabwe is drafting a Climate Change National Response Strategy and is working towards a Green Economy, frameworks in which strategies to address these inequalities ought to feature. There is need to consider taking a gender approach in design and implementation of policies on how to adapt and mitigate climate change and how men and women can contribute to and benefit from a green economy. This is crucial to effectively address the needs of both men and women as they relate to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular, Goal 1, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Goal 3 to promote gender equality and Goal 7 to ensure environmental sustainability. Women’s equal participation in climate change negotiation processes at local, national and global levels will ensure that their needs, perspectives and expertise are equally taken into account. Giving equal platforms for decision making in environment management, as well as equal support for low-carbon development and climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives would significantly contribute to reducing climate and environmental risks, in particular, the way these impact differently on men and women. 3. THEMATIC AREAS From the situational analysis, the policy sets out eight priority policy interventions around which policy objectives and strategies, implementation, monitoring and evaluation are formulated. The policy intervention areas are: (i) Gender, Constitutional and Legal Rights; (ii) Gender and Economic Empowerment; (iii) Gender, Politics and Decision Making; (iv) Gender and Health; (v) Gender, Education and Training; (vi) Gender Based Violence; (vii) Gender, Environment and Climate Change, and (viii) Gender, Media and ICTs. 11 4.0. VISION, GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES 4.1. Vision The Vision of this Policy is: A gender just society in which men and women enjoy equity, contribute and benefit as equal partners in the development of the country. 4.2. Goal The Goal of this policy is: To eradicate gender discrimination and inequalities in all spheres of life and development. 4.3. Policy Objectives To fulfil to the goal the following objectives have been formulated around the eight priority areas: i. Gender, Constitutional and Legal Rights: To ensure that the constitutional and legislative provisions on gender justice are implemented and gender equality targets set in the national and international and regional protocols, to which Zimbabwe is part, are achieved. ii. Gender and Economic Empowerment: To promote equality and equity in access to economic opportunities for men and women, and to the benefits from the economic development of the country. iii. Gender, Politics and Decision Making: To create a supportive environment for gender parity in politics and decision making positions. iv. Gender and Health: To promote gender sensitivity in health service delivery. v. Gender, Education and Training: To promote (i) equal access to education for boys and girls and their retention at all levels of education; and (ii) access to training opportunities for men and women, to make possible their equal participation in the workplace, marketplace and in governance structures. vi. Gender Based Violence: To reduce all forms of Gender Based Violence in Zimbabwe. vii. Gender, Environment and Climate Change: To increase gender responsiveness of the environment and natural resources management strategies and in climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives. viii. Gender, Media and ICT: To promote equal access to, control and ownership of, media and ICTs by men and women to enhance development across all sectors. 12 4.4. Principles Guiding the Policy The policy is underpinned by the following set of principles which shall guide its implementation: Gender Justice in all sectors of development: Gender Justice forms the critical ingredient of this policy. Gender justice takes a rights based approach, where, as elaborated in the Constitution, both men and women shall enjoy equal rights defined in the bill of rights. Noting further that, in pursuit of addressing disparity through advancing one sex, the processes should not ultimately marginalise or prejudice the other or result in reverse discrimination. Affirmative action: Notwithstanding the principle of gender justice, this policy acknowledges that measures (legislative or others) designed to advance sex disadvantaged by previous unfair discrimination may be taken. As such, affirmative action shall be pursued for more rapid and efficient progress towards redressing gender inequality particularly where targets have to be met within set timeframes. Integration of Gender Perspectives in all Aspects of Development: All multi-sectoral actors (state and non-state) shall take appropriate actions to address gender inequalities within their areas of mandate in line with this policy. This entails among other things, development of sector specific gender policies aligned to the National Gender Policy, integrating the gender perspectives in planning, policy making, programme designs, monitoring and evaluation and pursuing collaborative partnerships where necessary. Enhancing the capacities of development personnel to systematically address gender in their work becomes a central tenet of this principle. Broad Based and Inclusivity: This principle calls for the appreciation of all forms of social, economic and political differences, (age, religion, disability, cultural, educational, language, economic, geographical and any form of differences). It seeks to engage stakeholders across all sectors and to benefit men, women, boys and girls from all levels and of all backgrounds and to make special consideration of certain marginalised groups when necessary. Peace and Harmony at Family and Community Level: Peace and harmony at family and immediate community is a fundamental ingredient of positive outcomes from this policy. Peace and harmony at family level contributes to fair appropriation, ownership and control of productive assets among men, women, boys and girls at both community and family levels. It also contributes to meaningful participation in decision making and activities for development. 13 5.0. POLICY STRATEGIES The policy objectives will be pursued through a range of strategies. These strategies have been formulated around each of the eight priority areas. 5.1. Gender, Constitutional and Legal Rights The new Constitution contains the core components of a gender sensitive framework. It is comprehensive in its intentions for gender equality and hence provides a firm platform upon which equality rights can be claimed and initiatives can be pursued for generations to come. This NGP therefore establishes mechanisms to actualise the gender equality provisions of the new Constitution and other legislative provisions on gender equality. Policy Objective: To ensure that the constitutional and legislative provisions on gender justice are implemented and targets set in the national and international and regional protocols, to which Zimbabwe subscribe to, are achieved. Policy Strategies i. Simplify, translate in all languages, disseminate and popularise the gender justice components of the new Constitution and other relevant policies and legal provisions. ii. Conduct a gender audit of all existing relevant laws, identify gaps in line with the new constitutional provisions, and recommend areas for review or enactment of new instruments. iii. Advocate for the enactment of new laws, and/or support any efforts towards enactment of laws needed to deliver the gender equality provisions as provided in the new constitution. iv. Advocate for the establishment of institutions and/or support any efforts towards the establishment of institutions and other mechanisms needed to deliver the gender equality provisions as provided in the new constitution. v. Operationalise the Gender Commission. vi. Develop and implement a Gender Equality Result Oriented Tracking System across all sectors. vii. Identify areas that require affirmative action to achieve gender equality, facilitate and support efforts to develop a national Affirmative Action Plan for gender equality and equity viii. Identify harmful laws, cultures and traditional practices that infringe on women’s and girls’ rights and that impede the gender equality objectives and lobby for their elimination. 14 5.2. Gender and Economic Empowerment Recognising that gender disparities not only disadvantage women but also reduce growth potential of a nation as whole, Zimbabwe is committed to economic empowerment that is equitable, where both men and women participate and benefit. Yet institutional and legal barriers continue to hamper the ability of both men and women, to formalise and grow their businesses, create jobs and enhance productivity and women continue to be more constrained in these efforts. This policy therefore prescribes objectives and strategies to address these barriers to achieve economic empowerment equity and hence national growth. As provided in the constitution, and without prejudice, this policy proposes affirmative action measures to address economic empowerment imbalances in areas where sharp equity disparities exist. Policy Objective: To promote equality and equity in access to economic opportunities for men and women, and to the benefits from the economic development of the country. Policy Strategies i. Support gender sensitive economic policy planning and budgeting. ii. Support initiatives to promote equal access to entrepreneurial opportunities and equity in ownership of business in the key economic sectors. iii. Develop and support affirmative action initiatives that enhance business skills and competences and access to finance, land, other productive resources and technologies. iv. Institute mechanisms to advance equal representation in key economic decision making positions in all sectors including equal representation in community trusts and other grassroots structures. v. Set up or support the development of appropriate micro and macro level institutional mechanisms including networks for women to effectively receive entrepreneurship support. vi. Advocate for equity in formal employment and remuneration and mechanisms that increase opportunities for employment for the female employable population. vii. Support efforts to transform informal livelihood income generation into viable economic activities and broaden agro-entrepreneurship in disadvantaged rural, resettlement and urban areas. viii. Support efforts to improve the performance and growth of Small to Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) for both men and women and put in place mechanisms to particularly support young women in trade and entrepreneurship. ix. Develop and implementation a framework to monitor gender disparities in key economic empowerment indicators including gender sensitive tools for poverty surveys 15 5.3. Gender, Politics and Decision Making Zimbabwe recognises that sustainable development and good governance is dependent on women taking part in all decision making processes. The absence of a legislative framework for affirmative action to ensure attainment of gender quota systems for political parties and in urban and rural councils is a key hindrance to achievement of gender parity. Other underlying factors that perpetuate gender disparities in candidature in the electoral process and participation in public office such as lack of resources for the campaign process, lack of civic education, cultural perceptions, gender based violence and intimidation need a strong policy grounding to be effectively addressed. The last three factors also limit the participation of girls in leadership positions at a young age. The situation motivates this explicit policy objective and strategies to ensure equal participation in politics and decision making. Policy Objective: To create a supportive environment for gender parity in politics and decision making positions. Policy Strategies i. Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework and carry out periodic gender audits on representation and participation of men and women in politics and decision making positions. ii. Develop and strengthen policies, legal provisions and programmes, to ensure attainment of a 50/50 representation of men and women in politics and other key decision making positions. iii. Formulate and implement capacity building programmes for sitting and aspiring women leaders and support initiatives, including resource mobilisation efforts that seek to promote women in politics and other governance structures. iv. Invest in programmes aimed at enhancing assertiveness and leadership confidence in young girls to ensure equal participation in leadership in schools, tertiary institutions and junior parliament. v. Lobby for affirmative action measures in areas where sharp gender disparities exist. vi. Lobby for the elimination of cultural and traditional customs that inhibit equal participation of men and women in traditional governance and other grassroots structures. 16 5.4. Gender and Health The universal recognition that gender inequalities are responsible for most of the health issues and that poor health and HIV and AIDS delivery system impacts negatively more on women than men. There is therefore growing commitment among stakeholders in the health sector that strategies to improve health delivery should be gender focused if they have to positively impact on women’s lives and achieve gender equality. This policy aligns to this notion and to the commitment of stakeholders in the health sector by giving significance to the issues. Prioritising Gender and Health within this National Gender Policy will contribute to the effective protection of the right to healthcare for the marginalised sex and the achievement of equality in health delivery. Policy Objective: To improve gender sensitivity in health service delivery. Policy Strategies i. Popularise and conscientise women and men on the new constitutional provisions for rights to health, food and shelter and other provisions that impact on efforts to achieve gender equality in health and HIV and AIDS treatment. ii. Institute a system to track gender inequalities in health delivery, conduct gender audits and regularly advise on programming priorities achieve gender equality in the sector iii. Advocate for increased budget allocation for financing gender responsive policies and programmes in the health sector and in national HIV and AIDS policies and strategies. iv. Advocate for gender responsive mechanisms to ensure universal and affordable access to health services for all and support affirmative action initiatives to address areas that have sharp gender disparities including initiatives that directly address problems that are specific to women such as sanitary facilities. v. Support efforts to develop relevant and robust national policies and strategies for addressing high levels of maternal; infant and child mortality and cancers in men and women. vi. Advocate for the appropriate recognition of work carried out by caregivers, the majority whom are women, and for the allocation of resources and psychological support for caregivers as well as promote the involvement of men in providing care work. 17 5.5. Gender, Education and Training Education remains a fundamental and universal human right and a pre-requisite for economic growth, human development and poverty reduction. The gender parity achieved in some areas in the education sector need to be sustained through addressing the factors that may reverse the status quo especially problems that result in school drop outs. At the same time, the new constitutional and the economic developments open to a broad spectrum of new opportunities for equal participation in the workplace, market place and governance structures. Increased attention to training and capacity building for all, particularly for women to enable them to fully take on these opportunities is imperative. These new gender related learning and skills development priorities have to be pursued through recasting gender policy and strategies. Policy Objective: To ensure equal access to education for boys and girls and their retention at all levels of education; and to ensure access to training opportunities for men and women to make possible their equal participation in the workplace, marketplace and in governance structures. Policy Strategies i. Conduct training and capacity needs survey and support the implementation of capacity building programmes to actualise the constitutional provision for equal participation in all social, economic and political spheres. ii. Advocate for, and support efforts to design and implement programmes aimed at creating an enabling environment for the retention of girls at secondary school levels particularly in rural and resettlement areas. iii. Establish mechanisms to encourage women and girls to study stereotyped science subjects and to take up training in technical courses. iv. Lobby for affirmative action aimed at encouraging enrolment and retention of females in vocational training institutions especially in male domains. v. Promote equal access to ICT by both boys and girls, and men and women. vi. Support initiatives for training and skills development to achieve the objectives of women’s economic empowerment and seek strategic partnerships to conduct training programmes to enhance the skills of women and girls in entrepreneurship, business leadership, self-confidence, advocacy, negotiation skills and financial literacy. vii. Advocate for and support inservice training and capacity-building programmes to prepare women to advance to positions of power in the private and public sector institutions and in political and other governance structures 18 5.6. Gender Based Violence Zimbabwe recognises that gender based violence, in particular violence against women, constitutes one of the biggest obstacles to women’s participation in decision-making and severely limits their ability to participate in economic and social activities. Yet efforts to eliminate GBV are likely to continue to yield limited results due to a number of problems key of which are inadequate services and weak institutions for addressing GBV, poor information communication systems and patriarchal attitude that restrain men from reporting incidences of abuse. It is imperative to ground all efforts to reduce GBV on policy provisions particularly that aim to institute strong institutions and information and communication systems and to shift attitudes on GBV. Policy Objective: To reduce all forms of Gender Based Violence in Zimbabwe Policy Strategies i. Create a supportive a policy and programmatic environment for non-tolerance to all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) ii. Implement programmes aimed at eradicating all harmful social norms, religious and cultural beliefs, attitudes and practices that legitimize the acceptance of GBV at all levels iii. Advocate for, and support initiatives to strengthen institutional mechanisms among multi sectoral stakeholders (police stations, safe houses, courts, community leadership and other community structures) to create an enabling, safe and non-intimidating environment for provision of all services for GBV including services for care and support of GBV survivors and correctional and rehabilitation services of GBV perpetrators iv. Institute mechanisms for conducting gender safety audits and gender responsive evidence based research and documentation on all forms of Gender Based Violence v. Strengthen institutional and coordination mechanisms for addressing gender based violence at all levels including increased financing towards awareness activities vi. Promote the integration of GBV issues in the educational curriculum at all levels. vii. Encourage open platforms for GBV discussions particularly men’s forms, establish collaborative initiatives to eliminate the attitudes restraining men and women from openly discussing and reporting GBV. 19 5.7. Gender, Environment and Climate Change Although Zimbabwe has taken a firm stance towards attaining the Millennium Development Goal 7 on Environmental Sustainability, and is developing national programmes on climate change adaptation and mitigation there have been limited gender considerations in policy frameworks on the management and protection of environment and natural resources in Zimbabwe New mechanisms for climate change mitigation and environmental management that incorporate gender-sensitive perspectives need to be sought. This NGP therefore commits to spearheading a specific gender responsive effort in management of the environment particularly focusing on the exacerbation effects of climate change on pre-existing inequalities between men and women. Policy Objective: To increase gender responsiveness of the environment and natural resources management strategies and in climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives Policy Strategies i. Conduct a review of current environment and natural resources management policies and strategies and audit for gender considerations, identify gaps, recommend advocate for the incorporation of gender perspectives. ii. Support initiatives that aim to actualise the constitutional environmental rights iii. Conduct research to collect gender segregated data that highlight environment challenges and climate change induced inequalities among women and men, and recommend gender responsive strategies. iv. Build the capacity of state and non state development agencies in gender mainstreaming in environment and climate change policies, programmes and national environmental action plans. v. Contribute to the development and regular reviews of the National Climate Change Policy and Response Strategy, the National Biodiversity Strategy and other related national strategies ensuring they adequately incorporate gender considerations. vi. Support interventions aimed at increased participation of both females and males in the sustainable utilisation of natural resources for economic benefits including opportunities for carbon trading. vii. Ensure national level strategies for climate induced disaster management and risk reduction and coping mechanisms are gender responsive. 20 5.8. Gender, Media, Information Communication and Technology It is widely acknowledged that media has an important role to play in influencing policies and attitudes towards equality between men and women. It is further acknowledged that this ideal can be achieved when women and men are equally contributing as news sources. Zimbabwe has committed itself to taking measures to promote the equal access to media, ICTs, representation of women in ownership of, and decision making structures of the media through policies and dialogue. Without policies to target women it remains difficult for the country to attain the SADC Gender Protocol target of equal representation by 2015 and to influence equality in media. Policy Objective: To promote equal access to, control and ownership of, media and ICTs by men and women to enhance development across all sectors. Policy Strategies i. Advocate for a more gender sensitive and inclusive media environment to achieve equity of employment in media, equity in media entrepreneurship and media houses ownership. ii. Promote equal representation and participation of women in decision making structures of media houses. iii. Integrate gender perspectives into implementation of ICT policies, legal provisions and programmes. iv. Develop programmes aimed at education and training on a variety of ICTs with special emphasis on enhancing access to, and effective application of, ICTs by women entrepreneurs in marginalised areas. v. Strengthen the role of media in responsible reporting that is consistent with protecting human dignity of women and girls, promoting balanced portrayals of women and men in media, upholding gender equity principles and protecting the right to information. vi. Promote the establishment of community media houses including use of radio, print and television. 6.0 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE NGP The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development has overall responsibility towards implementing this policy. The strategies set out in the policy cut across all sectors and hence requires a multi sectoral collaboration for successful implementation. This policy and its provisions do not replace institutional policies or strategies within other institutions that contribute to gender justice. Rather the NGP provides a comprehensive framework for action and seeks to enhance value and effectiveness of the various actors in addressing gender inequality. 21 The institutional framework below outlines the generic roles and responsibilities of various institutions in implementing this Policy. Implementing Institution Roles and Responsibilities Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development i. Developing a detailed Strategic Action Plan and establishing relevant structures for the implementation of the NGP; ii. Developing a detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and establishing targets and guidelines for achievement of desired results; iii. Coordinating regular collection of gender segregated data on all key success factors, its synthesis, interpretation and dissemination; iv. Mobilising resources and skills necessary for the successful implementation of this policy; v. Providing technical guidance and supporting all implementing partners and gender focal points across all sectors; vi. State party reporting to regional and international conventions and protocols. Gender Focal Points in all Sectors and Institutions i. Ensuring sector policies and programmes are gender responsive and providing technical guidance on integrating gender justice during planning, budgeting, programming, monitoring and evaluation; ii. Monitoring progress towards implementation and achievement of gender policy objectives outlined in this policy; iii. Building in-house capacity of all staff in their respective institutions to ensure systematic integration of gender issues in all sectors; iv. Working closely with multi-sectoral stakeholders on gender compliance in their respective work; v. Collecting package, analyze and disseminate relevant information of gender statistics; vi. Providing progress reports to the relevant forums on the implementation of gender policy in their sectors. Ministry of Finance vii. Ensuring Treasury support towards implementation of the NGP Parliament of Zimbabwe: Relevant Parliamentary Portifolio Committees & Women’s Parliamentary Caucus; i. Facilitating the effective implementation of the national gender policy by engaging in parliamentary debates and passing relevant bills required to achieve gender justice; ii. Providing a legislators’ forum for discussion on matters affecting women in the country; iii. Taking a leading role in promoting the effective participation of women in all political spheres; iv. Sensitising all Parliamentarians to the principles of gender equality in the country, regionally and internationally; v. Supporting in parliament the requests for adequate fiscal support and advocating for donor support for the implementation of the national gender policy. Anti Domestic Violence Council i. Conduct research on the status of GBV and disseminate findings to stakeholders; ii. Coordinate the provision of services for GBV among stakeholders (safe houses/ 22 shelters); iii. Monitor the implementation of GBV policy outcomes; iv. Report regularly to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development. Gender Commission i. Monitor the implementation of gender equality provisions in the Constitution; ii. Investigating possible violations of rights relating to gender and recommending appropriate redress where rights relating to gender have been violated; iii. Conducting research into issues relating to gender and social justice, and recommending changes to laws and practices which lead to discrimination based on gender; iv. Advising public and private institutions on steps to be taken to ensure gender equality; v. Identifying and recommending affirmative action programmes to achieve gender equality; Gvt. and Private Research Institutions including ZIMSTAT i. Developing standardised research methods and tools for collecting gender segregated data and gender equality reporting , monitoring and evaluation; ii. Developing research programmes and mobilising resources for conducting research for successful implementation of the NGP; iii. Contributing to evidence based gender legislation, policy reviews and programmes. Women and Men’s Forums i. Providing platforms for discussions, lobbying and advocacy; ii. Monitoring and evaluation. Private Sector i. Incorporating NGP priorities in private sector policy, legislation and practice; ii. Implementing the monitoring and evaluation framework in the private sector in line with the gender policy priorities; iii. Ensuring that gender disparities are addressed through equity in employment, access to resources and decision making; iv. Developing and implementing corporate social responsibility programmes designed to contribute to the NGP objectives. Development Partners i. Collaborating with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, other relevant Ministries, civil society and private sector on matters of gender mainstreaming in development programming; ii. Supporting some of the budgetary requirements for the implementation of the national gender policy and other strategies for gender equality; iii. Provide technical support towards implementing NGP priorities. Other Recommended Institutions Local Authorities, Traditional leaders, Political Parties, Media, Human Rights Commission, Judiciary, Public Service Commission and other oversight commissions. 23 7.0. MONITORING AND EVALUATION Given the multi-sectoral nature of gender issues, monitoring and evaluation will be the responsibility of all implementing institutions involved. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs Gender and Community Development shall have a coordination and oversight role while ZIMSTAT and other research institutions will be critical partners in data collection. The following set of indicators will be used to assess the progress towards achieving the objectives of this NGP under each thematic area. Thematic Area Key Indicators for Monitoring Achievement Gender, Constitutional and Legal Rights  Number of legislative and policy reforms on the new constitutional provisions relating to gender equality  Number of viable institutions in place to implement and monitor constitutional provisions Gender and Economic Empowerment  Proportion of population by sex in employment; business ownership; economic decision making  Proportion of women accessing financing facilities by sector  Proportion of population by sex holding productive land  Proportion of population by sex and sector in control of key economic assets  Income distribution between men and women Gender, Politics and Decision Making  Proportion of men and women participating in key political decision making structures across all political parties  Representation by gender in Parliament, Local Government, and Cabinet  Representation by gender in key economic making decisions  Representation by gender of people in key governance structures Gender and Health  Proportion of population by gender accessing health services  Maternal and Child Mortality  Proportion of male care givers Gender, Education and Training  Retention rate of girls in secondary schools  Representation by gender in leadership positions in schools, colleges and junior parliament and youth council  Proportion of women and girls accessing training opportunities that helps them engage in business, politics and decision making Gender Based Violence  Incidences of gender based violence  Proportion of gender based violence victims by sex  Proportion of gender based violence perpetrators by sex Gender and Environment;  Number of gender inclusive provisions in national environment action plans  Nature of gender equality provisions in the Climate Change Response Strategy  Proportion of population by sex sufficiently coping with climate change risks Gender, Media and ICTS.  Proportion of population by sex accessing media and using ICTs  Distribution of media houses ownership by gender  Distribution of media news sources by gender  Number of media reports positively projecting women 24 8.0. TIMEFRAME OF THE NGP The life span of this National Gender Policy is five years from 2013 – 2017. Within the first six months following the approval of this NGP, the MWAGCD will develop a detailed NGP Implementation Strategy and Action Plan and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The Ministry and its implementing partners will conduct a midterm review in 2015 and an end of term review in 2017. DEFINITION OF TERMS Access and Control over resources: When considering the way in which resources are allocated between women and men, it is important to look at the difference between access to resources and control over resources. Access to: The opportunity to make use of resources. Control over: The power to decide how a resource is used and who has access to it. Women often have access to but no control over resources. Benefits: Not simply income, material goods or food for consumption or sale, but also status, power, respect and recognition. Empowerment: refers to the process of change that gives individuals greater freedom of choice and action. The outcome of the process is an enhanced ability of an individual or community to make strategic life choices in a context that was previously denied, enhance conscientisation, analytical skills and self confidence. Gender Analysis: The systematic assessment of policy and practice on women and men and on the social and economic relationships between the two. The application of a gender perspective to the development issue which is being addressed requires: an analysis of the gender division of labour, the identification of the needs and priorities of women and men, the identification of existing opportunities and constraints to the achievement of development objectives, and the choice of an intervention strategy to address these. Gender Awareness: Refers to recognition of the differences in the interests, needs and roles of women and men in society and how this results in differences in power, status and privilege. Gender awareness also signifies the ability to identify problems arising from gender inequality and discrimination. Gender Blindness/Gender Neutral: The inability to perceive that there are different gender roles and responsibilities and, consequently, the failure to realize that policies, programs and projects may have different impact on women and men. Gender Concern/ Issue: Arises where an instance of gender inequality is recognized as unjust. The fact that women have a higher rate of illiteracy than men is a gender concern and would need to be taken into account in a project that requires literacy skills. 25 Gender Discrimination: Providing differential treatment to individuals on the grounds of their sex. This involves systemic and structural discrimination against women or men in the distribution of income, access to resources, and participation in decision making. Gender Division of Labour: An overall societal pattern where women are allotted one set of gender roles and men allotted another. This division is not based on skills, but on the basis of sex. Gender Equality: Requires equal enjoyment by women and men of socially valued goods, opportunities, resources and rewards. Achieving gender equality requires changes in the institutional practices and social relations through which disparities are reinforced and sustained. Gender Equity: A just distribution of benefits and rewards between men and women. Gender Gap: Is a disproportionate difference or disparity between the sexes. Conventional wisdom is that differences between boys and girls in mathematics and science are not a matter of biology; any observable differences are influences of the social environment. Gender Planning: The formulation of specific strategies, which aim to provide equal opportunities and benefits for both women and men. Gender Relations: Social relationships between men and women. They are simultaneously relations of cooperation, connection, and mutual support, and of conflict, separation and competition, of difference and inequality. Gender relations are concerned with how power is distributed between sexes. They vary according to time and place, and between different groups of people. Gender Role Stereotyping: The constant portrayal (in media, the press, or in education), of women and men occupying certain roles according to the socially constructed gender division of labour and expectations of behaviour. Gender Roles: A social system of role classification, as opposed to a biological one. Gender roles are contrasted with sex roles, which cannot be interchanged between sexes. Gender Sensitive Planning: Planning that takes into consideration the impact of policies and programs on women and men. Gender Sensitivity: The ability to recognize gender needs and constraints and the ability to recognize men and women’s different perceptions and interests arising from their different social positioning. Gender Training: The provision of format learning experiences and skills in order to increase gender analysis and awareness skills which serve to recognize and address issues in the programming process. 26 Gender: The social meaning given to being either female or male in a given society. It may also be defined as the economic, social, political and cultural attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female. These meanings and definitions vary from one society to another, are time bound and changeable. Sex Disaggregated Data: The collection of data information and analysis of results on the basis of gender e.g. data on the status and socio-economic roles of different groups of men and women or data based on biological attributes of women and men. Sex: Defines the biological attribute (male, female). Women’s Economic Empowerment: refers to the process which increases women’s real power over economic decisions that influence their lives and priorities in society. This can be achieved through equal access to and control over critical economic resources and opportunities and the elimination of structural gender inequalities in the labour markets