Gweru City Council, a fountain of gender sensitivity.

As a fountain of gender sensitivity, 2009 – 2014 (6 years) mark the long journey Gweru City Council has travelled with Gender Links and other key partners in mainstreaming gender in the Council. The buy-in process was not an easy road as this was initially characterised by lack of knowledge on gender issues. Gender was misinterpreted to mean anything to do with women. The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development has greatly assisted in potraying the participation of women in decision making matters by giving good guidance. Gweru City Council became a COE in 2011 and has gone through all the 10 stages. The Mayor, the Town Clerk and two women Councillors are the gender champions. There is a female Gender Focal Person who is a member of the Management Team. These five (5) are the Drivers of Change in a Council that is demonstrating gender sensitivity, thus becoming a haven of good service delivery through :

– Formulation of gender sensitive policies (Council Gender Policy, Local Government Gender Policy, GBV Action Plan, Ministry Circulars).
– Recruitment (Male and female – equal opportunity employer).
– Training
– Resource distribution (Refer to budget)
– Civic participation
– Environmental Management
– Service delivery (Water provision, poverty alleviation, health services, refuse removal, accommodation, public lighting).
– Education
– Infrastructure and utilities provision.

An Inter-Departmental Gender Committee was in put in place in 2013 to spearhead the Gender Mainstreaming programme in Gweru City Council. The committee has dispensed of its mandate resoundingly.

Participation in both national and regional summits, scooping awards for best practices in the Centre of Excellence and Gender Based Violence categories cannot go unmentioned. Gender mainstreaming is the “RIGHT THING TO DO ” for it improves SERVICE DELIVERY. City of Gweru is really a fountain of gender sensitivity.