Zimbabwe – An intervention on gender equity and social inclusion

The population of Ngezi mostly consists of the elderly women and people living with disabilities. These socially excluded groups were not considered by the council in the building of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. The toilets were far, communally owned squat holes and had no privacy. This posed great difficulty to the elderly and pregnant women since they had to travel long distances.

This project sets out to address issues pertaining to WASH. These marginalized groups’ needs were addressed in the renovations that were done on WASH facilities. This is a good practice because dignity was restored and the aesthetic nature of the location was restored. This is innovative because it focuses on the marginalized groups.

Of the direct beneficiaries, 42% of the participants have been reached. The Zimbabwean Government allocated $3000 to this project. All the processes of this project depended on the funds allocated by the government only.

With effects to Monitoring and Evaluation, there are weekly and monthly gatherings to track the project’s development. Ever since the project began, women can now air their views in issues pertaining to WASH.

Mr Musonza says, “As a man I feel considerations of the disabled in service delivery was long overdue.” Men support the issue of gender friendly facilities.

New toilet facilities have been built in the households. These are safe for everyone to use, and they have a sense of privacy. Inclusion of everyone makes service delivery easier. Provision and maintenance of household toilets is much better than communal toilets for security and privacy. The community if empowered to advocate for gender equity and social inclusion.