By Pretty Chavango.
Harare. (News Of The South) – The first chapter of the Zimbabwean constitution Section 3(g) sets out gender equality as one of the values upon which Zimbabwe is founded, placed on a par with other founding values and principles such as the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedom, good governance and supremacy of the Constitution, clearly signifying a level of importance.
It is however disheartening to know that such beautifully laid out policies are mere window dressing stipulated on paper and very much disregarded in real life.
In Zimbabwe, women remain marginalized in society and continue to face discrimination at all levels in all spheres be it socially, economically politically or otherwise despite their power in number it works to little effect. Gender is defined as the state of being male or female,the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. However due to the emphasis placed on the disadvantaged female side when one hears of gender they immediately think of women, Zimbabwe’s socio-political and economic meltdown has seen more women being affected in comparison to their male counterparts. Effects are seen in the areas of health, employment, politics, among a whole lot others factors.
There are very few women in power in all spheres of society and this is built on multi dimensional factors which include religion, culture, socialisation and are seemingly intertwined creating much gender stereotyping which culminates in gender disparities .
The in- fights within the ruling ZANU-PF party saw the removal of former vice President Joyce Mujuru from power. Mujuru is a person who had been recognised as the most influential woman in politics considering the history of Zimbabwe as the first woman to clinch the position of Vice President. This move although it came as a result of internal misunderstanding also dealt a blow to the furthering of gender equality progress in the country, going against section 17 of the constitution which stipulates that the state must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society in particular the full participation of women in all spheres of society on the basis of equality with men.
Effects of a failing economy and basically everything else with it has culminated in changes in gender roles, or rather the sharing of them. What was normally seen as set gender roles as per norm gradually changed as in order to survive the trying times. It is no longer sustainable for a whole family to depend on one pay cheque rather with each passing day increasing pressures on a back drop of rising unemployment levels. Women can no longer afford to sit at home and play house while their spouses are at work.
Men too can no longer afford to be chauvinistic and confine their wives to the house when they can both help in sustaining of the family unit. With the advent of closing down of industries many have turned to the informal sector, the streets now filled with vendors both men and women defying the norm where women mainly sold in the streets, women too are frequenting what was previously termed male zones and one cannot argue shifts and changes in gender roles as a result of the meltdown of the country’s state.
In the political arena despite the initiative by the SADC protocol on gender to improve women in political leadership by encouraging equal representation there are still very few women in the ministerial positions.
There is much need for women to be actively participant in political issues so as to learn and prove their worth the 50-50 equal representation in parliament.
It is easier for women to receive much criticism if they are just placed in positions in order to improve their visibility when they are incompetent, thus creating stereotyping for the rest of the women.
Out of the estimated 1million Zimbabweans living with HIV, over 600 thousand are women, the country has a generalized epidemic with about half of new infection occurring within marriage or long term partnerships. The facts and figures point towards gender specific gaps threatening the gains that have been made in preventing transmissions. Women’s and girls’ subordinate position in society makes it difficult for them to negotiate for safer sex, in a highly patriarchal society where men have much influence on family, religious and cultural tendencies. Rising unemployment levels means more women may venture into sex work, this also affects Zimbabweans socially as more women become vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.
Resources are slowly dwindling in the country, funds allocated to ministry’s are sometimes only on paper and at times do not reach the targeted beneficiaries.
The 2014 budget saw a paltry US$10,8 million being allocated to the ministry of gender and women affairs, less than 1% of the US$4, 3 billion budget which does little in a failing economy causing very little changes to be implemented.
Zimbabwe’s economic and social meltdown has caused changes in gender roles, some of them positive some negative. However, women are much more affected than benefiting from the changing lifestyles.
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