Permanent Secretary launches SADC Gender Protocol 2010 Barometer: Harare

Zimbabwean Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Silvia Utete-Masango launched the SADC Gender Protocol 2010 at a ceremony held in Harare on 19 October.

In her speech at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Utete-Masango reiterated Zimbabwe’s commitment to gender equality and equity, noting that “Zimbabwe has a woman vice president, a woman deputy prime minister, a woman president of senate and a woman deputy speaker of parliament.”

She provided insight on steps taken by the government of Zimbabwe to foster gender equality: The Government has put in place national instruments for the empowerment of women which include a National Gender Policy that seeks to promote equal and equitable access, control and ownership of resources; a Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Policy that stipulates a 30% quota of loans to be set aside for women; The Women’s Development Fund, which seeks to economically empower women in Zimbabwe through loans administered in partnership with the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB); Short Term Economic Recovery Programme (STERP) one and two, which seek to ensure household food security targeting women in the production and reproductive roles in order to eradicate poverty and gender responsive budgeting, initiated in 2007, that seeks to promote targeted allocation of resources addressing the different needs of men and women, boys and girls.

Furthermore, she highlighted that “the constitution making process has been inclusive, allowing women to fully participate and bring out their issues especially 50/50 representation in all decision-making positions.

Click on the document below to download the keynote address.

Download : Keynote address, Silvia Utete-Masango