The Sunday Mail
The Auditor-General’s 2020 report has spelt out the need to improve gender main-streaming in various Government departments.
In her report “Appropriation Accounts, Finance and Revenue Statements and Fund Accounts,” Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri highlighted areas that required improvement in gender main-streaming, particularly in Government to eliminate the root causes of discrimination that curtail women’s rights in workplaces.
While we commend Government efforts towards gender main-streaming, there is still need to heed the Auditor-General’s concerns, which, if fully taken on board, will improve policy formulation and implementation.
Gender main-streaming helps prevent the creation and reinforcement of disparities at all levels of governance, business and society.
While this may be difficult to implement in specific circumstances because of attitudes, more work is needed to educate those tasked to oversee the process.
If anything, failure to, or the slow implementation of gender main-streaming, has a trickle-down effect on the population, with women being the biggest losers.
It is sad that to some, gender mainstreaming appears a simple act and just one of those tasks that do not deserve much attention.
However, it is important not to look at it this way. When the Government and council bodies’ decision-making positions are dominated by men, male perspectives generally prevail.
And the effects of such male-dominated perspectives may mean women are left behind or are given solutions that are far-fetched and do not address their needs.
For instance, Government and local authorities may end up using up funds for solutions that will not have takers.
Gender main-streaming, therefore, creates room for policies that promote inclusion of women and provide solutions that fit hand-in-glove.
Gender main-streaming provides the opportunity to undo the negative effects of discriminatory policies of the past.
It also creates room for gender budgeting, an approach to budgeting that uses monetary policy and administration to promote gender equality.
Gender budgeting also promotes equitable distribution of resources.
If anything, evidence shows that if fully implemented at all levels of Government and local authorities – from what may seem smallest policies to large-scale global ones – gender main-streaming will definitely ensure more equal access to opportunities.
When fully applied, policymakers can easily analyse existing situations with the purpose of identifying inequalities and correcting them. This helps in policy development to redress these inequalities and undo the mechanisms that triggered them.
Most important to note is that gender equality is not a “women’s” problem.
It is an aspect of economic and social development, not just in Zimbabwe, but globally.
From a development perspective, gender main-streaming enables gender lens to be fitted to all projects by default.
This can be included in aid distribution in times of natural disasters, or for empowerment projects in rural areas.
Research also shows how gender inequities are particularly visible when natural disasters like cyclones, floods, droughts, et cetera, strike.
When looking at disaster preparedness, a number of factors that include differences in how men and women are informed of early warning systems come to mind.
The extent to which information is gender nuanced and who makes the decision to move to safer areas comes to mind.
The major challenge lies in translating policy into effective practice.
This appears to stem from the fact that it is mainly men making policy and investment decisions.
That is why regular monitoring and evaluation becomes essential to ensure that gender equality principles are implemented.
There is need for Government departments to constantly work with check lists or scorecards to self-assess. Ticking boxes and monitoring if they are fully implementing gender mainstreaming will help Government departments to stay on course.
However, while there are gaps, the Government should be commended for the work done so far.
The country’s superior law, the Constitution, is progressive in terms of advancing women’s rights.
It contains an expansive bill of rights, gender equality notions and elaborates rights for women.
Zimbabwe’s National Gender Policy also provides for concrete measures and strategies to mainstream gender in various thematic areas.
These include constitutional and legal rights, economic empowerment, politics and decision-making, health, education and training, environment and climate change, among others.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has also developed gender mainstreaming guidelines for 10 ministries, with the remaining 11 ministries expected to be developed during the course of this year.
However, more needs to be done to promote the participation of women in politics and decision-making.
When younger women see others taking up senior Government positions, they, too, become interested in and have the confidence to enter politics.
It is important to ensure policies do not remain on paper, but are implemented fully
