Summit 2016 – Chirumanzu Rural District Council COE

Chirumanzu Rural District Council is situated in Mvuma, Midlands province of Zimbabwe.

The council has applied various strategies and gender-related policies to guide its work. The council has raised the percentage of gender awareness in wards from 5% to 55% through gender awareness campaigns. Strategies and programmes that establish and strengthens structures of gender mainstreaming have been implemented. The council has also ensured the inclusion of men in all gender related activities, including gender training and community mobilisation.

Of the 24 councillors the council currently has, four are women. The council has seven committees of which two are chaired by women. The council also has a junior council which is chaired by a young woman.

Approximately 76 to 100 percent of women participate in public consultations; the council has a community group called the Sister to Sister Club. Of the total workforce, the council employs 11 percent women; three women form part of the management of the council. There is also a person with disability who works for the council.

There’s provision for three months paid maternity leave however the council does not provide flexi time. The council has in place a sexual harassment policy which outlines various channels to report any issues. The council has disability friendly facilities, mostly being ramps.

The local economic development strategies the council have applied include the allocation of market stalls to women to enhance entrepreneurship. Currently, the council has a total of 55 people who benefit from job creation, whereby 30 of those are young women. These strategies also benefit 10 people with disabilities.

The budget for the council for gender-related projects is reflected as follows:

Women, men, PWD, and youth are involved in the planning, management and maintenance of water and sanitation. There is a total of 10 people who are employed to oversee the efficiency of the climate change policy, of which five are people with disability. Having the committee being chaired by a woman ensures that women empowerment is enhanced and also having disabled members of the committee ensures equal representation of human rights.

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