THE running of community affairs in rural areas is often left to men, leaving women playing a passive role both in the political and developmental arenas.
BY TAPIWA ZIVIRA
This is seen even at indabas that traditional leaders like village heads and chiefs hold, where often the views of the women are disregarded.
In many rural societies, where men are regarded as heads of houses, women do not get a chance to participate on decision-making forums, and in the end, the women’s views and concerns are left out as it is then assumed that it is the men who are better placed to speak on behalf of the women.
However, in Bindura rural district, this is about to change as a local non-government organisation, Institute for Young Women in Development (IYWD), last week unveiled a programme to facilitate the active participation of women in issues that affect their community.
With the principal aim to facilitate engagement platforms among young women, local authorities and mining companies for accountable and improved “Gender Responsive Social Service Delivery” in Bindura and Mazowe rural district councils.
The engagements, which involve panel discussions and one-on-ones with representatives from councils, government and the corporates, are named Public Resources Accountability Indabas.
According to IYWD, “the lack of accountability and transparency in the local authorities is fuelled by the unwillingness of traditional leaders and local authorities – elected and appointed – to engage young women and girls on social service delivery issues, and this leads to the imposition of solutions that do not consider their lived realities in the various communities.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
At the first indaba held last week in Bindura, attended by over 100 women drawn from Bindura district, women expressed concern about what they said was inadequate citizen consultation by the council authorities and lack of information on what role women should play to complement service delivery in their communities.
“We often do not get the information that we need, and in the end we have a perception that what council needs from us are just the taxes that we pay,” said Brenda Charakupa from Masembura.
According to Charakupa, women can contribute with manual labour to developmental projects like the rehabilitation of roads.
“We can help rehabilitate our roads and we can maintain our drainages and control soil erosion, but this can only happen if council authorities come to us and deliberate with us, just like we have done at the IYWD meeting.”
Elnet Barwa also said she and other women are prepared to complement council efforts.
“For example, if there is building of a clinic going on, we can assist with getting the sand, or we can provide food and cook for the workers to reduce the costs of such work,” she said.
Citing resource constraints to thoroughly engage constituents, councillor for Ward 16, Justice Chinakwetu, who is also the council chairperson for Bindura Rural District Council, said he hoped initiatives such as the one by IYWD would take place every time.
“When we discussed with the women at the IYWD meeting, we realised that some of them said they did not know what their responsibilities were and we would be glad to take part in such collaborative efforts with NGOs that can bring our constituents and other stakeholders to the same platform,” said Chinakwetu.
