Summit 2018 – Umguza Rural District Council COE

Situated in Matebeleland North. This local authority is known for the man-made upper Umguza and Lower Umguza Dams. The council is also known for its natural wildlife conservancies.

Umguza Rural District Council has a gender policy that The Council gender Policy has been reviewed to a Gender and social inclusion policy to accommodate vulnerable groups within Umguza RDC’s area of jurisdiction. The council has 19 councillors (13 male councillors and 6 female). The chairperson of the council is female.

Umguza Rural District Council has eight committees, and four are chaired by women. The council also has a junior council whose composition is female-dominated though the leader of the council is male.

Umguza Rural District Council has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Foundation for people with disabilities. This is where various issues ranging from human rights to voter registration are addressed. More-so research on their livelihood is being conducted currently so that it feeds into United Nations Rights for people with disabilities. Women, men, youth and People with Disability participate in a various gathering convened by council mainly constitutional advocacy campaigns, rights and women empowerment, commemorations for Women’s Day,  father’s Day and the Day of the disabled. Approximately 76-100% of participants at these events are women.

Umguza has a total workforce of 75 employees, of whom 35 are women. Council employs 2 disabled persons and 35 youths amongst that workforce. There is an equal distribution of women and men in management (4 women and 4 men). The Engineer, Environment Officer, Ranger and Assistant treasurer are some post filled by women at Umguza Rural District Council which are normally male-dominated.

Zimbabwe by law prescribes a paid maternity leave of 3 months, thus Umguza provisions for it. The council also has provisions for paternity leave of less than 1 month which are provisioned through the employees’ annual leave days. The council has a sexual harassment policy whose cases are dealt with absolute confidentiality, investigations are conducted and based on findings, appropriate action is undertaken and reports and records maintained to prevent their recurrence of such in the work environment. Regards disability-friendly access in all council buildings the council has ensured that access to the main council building is disability friendly.

Umguza Rural District Council allocates a substantial budget to gender-related projects, these amounts have increased from 2016 to 2017.

Umguza Rural District Council in their local economic development plan has market stalls in Ntabazinduna, Nyamandlovu and Fingo areas. The market stands are allocated on a 50/50 basis. However, recognition and preference are favoured towards the youths and disabled, through collaborations with women affairs and youth.

Umguza RDC has a deliberate policy of increasing women in the council through a deliberate policy made were an addendum to ensure that every post of a male employee leaving a woman takes up the post as long as they have the requisite qualifications.

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