BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
This year’s National Gender Forum which will be held in Gwanda this Friday, will come up with recommendations which should be implemented so as to advance gender equality on a national scale.
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) Chairperson, Commissioner Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, during a press conference on Tuesday.
She was speaking ahead of the 2024 National Gender Forum, where the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, will be the guest of honour.
The National Gender Forum is built upon discussions from the Provincial Forums.
“What normally happens is that out of the National Gender Forums, there are going to be recommendations to specific institutions to take action on specific issues.
“So we will take those recommendations and forward them to those institutions which are supposed to respond.
“They are going to respond at the forum but we are also going to follow up to make sure that whatever has been raised is actually implemented.
“We make sure what whatever has been raised is actually taken care of, so that when we look at the next year’s gender forum, we look back at the recommendations from the last gender forum and see whether they have been implemented, if not, then we need to take them up again,” said Commissioner Mukahanana-Sangarwe.
The theme for this year’s National Gender Forum is, “Gender, Environment, and Climate Change: Building Resilience and Sustainable Development through Gender Equality”.
The theme highlights the crucial intersection of gender issues with environmental challenges.
Commissioner Mukahanana-Sangarwe further revealed that the “ZGC had successfully conducted nine Provincial Gender Forums across the country and these were vital for collecting local insights and addressing regional gender issues, involving community members, experts and stakeholders in impactful discussions.
“Gwanda has been chosen as this year’s host as part of the ZGC’s initiative to rotate the event across all 10 provinces, in alignment with the Government’s devolution drive.
“This rotation ensures that every region engages with national gender issues.
“Gwanda’s unique climate-related challenges, including significant impacts from the El Niño-induced drought, make it a critical location for discussing the intersection of gender, environment, and climate change.”
She further added that, “the interplay between gender, environment, and climate change is profound.
“Climate change often exacerbates gender inequalities by disrupting livelihoods, increasing food insecurity, and aggravating water and energy challenges.
“Women, particularly in Zimbabwe, face heightened vulnerabilities due to their reliance on natural resources.
“Addressing these challenges through gender-sensitive approaches is essential for fostering resilience and achieving sustainable development.
“The theme underscores the urgency of integrating gender perspectives into environmental policies, especially given the impacts of the El Niño- induced drought Zimbabwe is facing.”
She added that objectives of this year’s National Gender Forum include, map environmental and climate change challenges: identify specific issues affecting Zimbabwe, understand gendered impacts: examine how environmental degradation and climate change affect men and women differently and develop recommendations: propose strategies to build resilience and promote sustainable development through gender equality.
