By Daphne Machiri
Training gender champions was a significant achievement and a crucial step towards promoting gender equality and social justice. Women’s Democracy Network Zimbabwe (WDN-ZW) trained 33 gender champions to amplify the voices of a vibrant generation of future leaders in achieving inclusive and equitable outcomes towards women’ s participation in public life.
Gender champions were equipped with the knowledge, skills, and passion to advocate for gender-sensitive policies and practices, challenge gender stereotypes and biases, support marginalized groups, particularly women and girls, promote inclusive decision-making processes, encourage gender-responsive resource allocation and to foster a culture of gender equality and social justice.
Hezel Sibanda, WDN-ZW Board member said gender champions are key drivers to Promote gender responsive policymaking towards an enabling environment.
She said this at the graduation ceremony of the 2024 cohort of Gender Champions who underwent the Gender Responsive Policy Making. The graduation ceremony was held in Harare last Saturday.
She pointed out that the programme will contribute towards a more collaborative and inclusive exchange in building a movement of women leaders that promote democracy and good governance, enhancing women’s participation in politics, elections, peace building and governance.
“More so facilitating spaces for women to grow their knowledge, skills and networks on democracy, peace building and governance for effective participation,” she revealed.
“It is a great honour to be part of your journey and contribution to promote gender responsive policy making to increase women’s participation in public life.
“Over the past two days, we believe it has been a process of learning, unlearning and being ignited to action to play your part towards a Harare City that promotes and ensure Gender Responsive policy making,” she revealed.
She expressed commitment to action gratitude on behalf of WD-ZW Board and Trustees and congratulated the gender champions.
“Congratulations on your first step in to contribute to initiatives to end harmful social norms affecting women’s participation in leadership and policy making processes.
She added that WDN-ZW is a network of Gender Champions promoting women’s leadership representation and development, participation and inclusion democracy and good governance for gender equity and equality.
“We are committed to providing technical support and facilitate platforms for you to link, learn, and engage with relevant stakeholders and duty bearers key to addressing the gender advocacy issues you will be pursuing through your action plans. We empower and support women’s participation in leadership, politics, elections, peace building and governance,” she revealed.
Speaking at the same function WDN-ZW Executive Director Sally Ncube also said that two day training workshop was meant to equip gender champions on gender responsive policy making and advocacy skills so that they can contribute to initiatives to increase, strengthen, enhance women’s representation, inclusion and participation in public life.
“As a registered network of women political leaders, male and female gender champions we seek to promoting women’s representation, leadership, and gender responsive policies to advance gender equality. We are working on a policy advocacy initiative to increase women’s participation in public life,” said Mrs Ncube.
Further she highlighted that WDN-ZW conducted a Situation Analysis Survey in 2023 to map policy gaps contributing to barriers to women’s full participation in public life that gender champions will focus policy interventions on.
“The survey findings included that, barriers to women’s full participation in public life include social norms that discriminate and are against women’s participation (religion and culture) Lack of resources.
“Roles for Gender Champions recommended include that they can play to improve women’s participation in public life through being an advocate, mediator, facilitator, partaking in gender advocacy initiatives, awareness campaigns, supporting legislation and policies that promote women’s participation public support of women in the public and political sector,” she noted.
The two-day training was a combination of training and practical exercises where various trainers and Gender Champions facilitated learning through; Module 1: Introduction to Gender Responsive Policymaking.
The module provided foundational knowledge and helped participants for the following module covering, gender and its impact on policymaking, what we mean by gender responsive policymaking, the policymaking process and international frameworks pushing for gender integration.
Module 2; Problem Identification. The module introduced the first phase of the policy making process, problem identification. It uses gender analysis as a tool to identify the policy issue and primary goal.
Module 3; Policy Design. The module introduced the second phase of the Policymaking process, policy design. It focused on gathering information to inform policy design and how to create a policy intervention including a gender responsive budget.
Module 4; Policy Adoption. The module introduced the third phase of the Policy making process, policy adoption. The primary focus was how to advocate for policy interventions. Including different advocacy tactics, how to mobilize allies, deliver a strong message, and create a gender responsive communications plan.
More so day two focused on Module 5; Policy Implementation and Oversight. The module introduced the final phase of the policymaking process; implementation and oversight. It explained how to create a gender responsive implementation plan, gender sensitive monitoring framework as well as methods for data collection and how to analyze data. Ended with how to conduct an evaluation and using those findings to make adjustments to improve effectiveness.
None the less reflection on social norms affecting women’s participation in public life in Harare and awareness session were from Harare City Council on structures, processes and opportunities for public participation in public life in Harare.
In conclusion, individual Action Planning activity applying knowledge and skills gained from the training.
WDN-ZW is currently implementing programs that includes;
1.#TimetoAct – Gender responsive policy making training and advocacy through the Gender Champions Network
2.#DemocracyNeedsWomen -Women’s leadership School, Women Political Leadership Academy and Women’s Campaign School.
3.# ActToEndGBV – Annual 10 days of activism against GBV & 16 days of Activism Against GBV
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