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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]

FIRST Lady and SADC Patron on Environmental issues, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, has said a multi-stakeholder approach is crucial in addressing the devastating environmental and climate change challenges.

Should these not be addressed appropriately, they threaten to derail progress towards achieving the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), as well as gender equality gains made over the years. 

In a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Sithembiso Ndlovu, during the 2024 National Gender Forum in Gwanda in Friday, Amai Mnangagwa said incorporating gender perspectives into environmental and climate change policy will empower the country to foster resilience needed to combat environmental degradation and adverse climate change impacts. 

The event was held under the theme: “Gender, Environment and Climate Change: Building Resilience and Sustainable Development Through Gender Equality.”

Dr Mnangagwa said the theme dovetails with the Second Republic’s thrust of promoting environmental sustainability and building resilience to climate change towards an upper-middle income economy by 2030. 

She noted how Zimbabwe has felt the pinch of climate change through recurrent droughts, extreme weather phenomenon such as floods, heatwaves and cyclones, among others. 

“We continue to grapple with land degradation, biodiversity loss and air, land and water pollution. The harsh realities of climate change and environmental degradation have impacted the most vulnerable among us and those hardest hit are women and girls,” said Amai Mnangagwa. 

“Women are traditionally responsible for sourcing for food, water and fuel-wood and through these traditional roles they interact with and depend more on the environment for their livelihoods and those of their families.

“In drought-affected areas, women and girls are forced to walk long distances to collect water, facing an increased risk of sexual violence. Women’s vulnerability is compounded by their traditional gender roles, high dependence on natural resources and structural inequalities in access to, control over and ownership of natural resources.” 

Dr Mnangagwa commended the Second Republic for deploying its different arms of Government to help communities build environmental sustainability and resilience, noting in particular the Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme, national tree planting day, the Geo Pomona Waste Management initiative and rehabilitation of water sources and drilling of boreholes across the country.

Through the Angel of Hope Foundation, Dr Mnangagwa has also initiated a number of programmes to promote environmental protection and building resilience to climate change.

“In partnership with Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement we have also launched Agri-for-She, an innovative initiative aimed at empowering women through agriculture. Under the initiative, women receive essential inputs, chemicals and machinery to enhance their agricultural endeavours,” she said.

The First Lady said Government was also committed to creating an enabling environment for women to thrive, boasting of having robust gender responsive legislative frameworks. 

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Gender Commission chairperson, Commissioner Margaret Mukahanana Sangarwe said the Commission convened this year’s National Gender Forum to map specific environmental and climate change challenges in the country, understand the differential gendered impact of environmental degradation and climate change in Zimbabwe. 

She said this year’s event also sought to proffer recommendations for building resilience and promoting sustainable development through mainstreaming gender and increasing awareness on environment and climate change issues.

“The devastating impact of climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable development practices threaten to undermine the progress we have made towards gender equality over the years,” she said. 

“Women, in particular, bear the brunt of these challenges as they rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods and are often excluded from decision-making processes related to environment and climate change issues.”

Earlier, the Commission conducted Provincial Gender Forums across the country’s provinces in order to gather input from all the provinces and to understand the unique experiences of each and every province on the theme including the gendered impact of environment and climate change. The provincial Forums also sought to get input on possible recommendations for addressing the gender impact on existing environment and climate challenges.

Meanwhile, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, who was represented by provincial secretary, Mrs Latiso Dlamini-Maseko, said Matabeleland South was deeply honoured to host this year’s edition of the National Gender Forum. “This year’s theme is very relevant to our experiences as a province. Matabeleland South hasn’t been spared from the current environment and climate change challenges the country is grappling with,” she said. 

Dr Ndlovu said climate change pressures have disrupted livelihoods thereby exacerbating the vulnerabilities of rural folk especially women and vulnerable groups. She said the National Gender Forum has created a platform to deliberate on the gender dimensions of environment and climate change. — @DubeMatutu