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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected] 

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa’s inclusive development drive has become instrumental in promoting equal participation of women in key decision-making processes and development programmes across sectors.

Women in Local Government Forum (WILGF) Midlands chapter president, Councillor, Idirashe Dongo, said this recently after receiving an award in the category of outstanding women in accelerating women’s issues in economic development.

The awards programme was presided over by the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa, during International Women’s Day commemoration in Chitora area in Shurugwi recently.

She said the Women in Local Government Forum has come in handy in empowering women on leadership matters, at a time when the representation of females remain minimal in many aspects.

Clr Dongo said President Mnangagwa has since coming into power taken a bold stance to ensure that at least 30 percent of all local government councillors were women.

“We thank His Excellency for his political will to have more women participating in decision-making positions in Zimbabwe. President Mnangagwa has ensured that women participate equally in terms of decision-making in local government through his drive to leave no one and no place behind, in line with Vision 2030,” she said.

Clr Dongo said women councillors in the local authority sphere have increased to 827 following the introduction of the Women’s Quota system.

“This is a great milestone in women’s political participation at the grassroots level so far in Zimbabwe. Other countries are coming to Zimbabwe for a look-and-learn programme, on how we did it,” she said. 

In 2018 after she assumed office as a councillor, she made sure that the policy to have 20 percent of stands allocated to women and people living with disabilities was embraced and captured in the budget for Zibagwe Rural District.

With support from the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) and Gender Links, Midlands State University (MSU) partnering with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, she said she implemented a biogas digester project in the rural areas, which was addressing issues of climate change, deforestation, and gender-based violence (GBV). 

“Women and girls in our culture and traditions are expected to be the ones doing house chores, which include cooking and fetching firewood. We have cases of GBV on women and girls as they go out in the forest in search of firewood for cooking at home,” said Clr Dongo. 

“Some get raped, assaulted and emotionally abused. The biogas digester concept is helping women to even get social time, since they are now producing power at home.

“As the chairperson for the gender committee at my council, I initiated programmes and campaigns aimed at promoting second chance education and most young girls who had dropped out of school returned to school, some heavily pregnant. I moved around the whole district and in some provinces promoting second chance education.” 

Meanwhile, in her remarks, Minister Mutsvangwa urged society to empower women, as a strategy to overcome numerous social ills, including GBV.

“One way to reduce GBV is to reduce poverty among women. Women must be given access to economic resources and opportunities so that they are better placed to take care of their families and participate in society,” she said.

“Community resilience is strengthened by empowering women. Women must be empowered so that they have the ability to take care of their basic needs.

“I am calling for more action to address these issues and ensure that women can fully participate in the society,” said the Minister.