By
Ndumiso
Tshuma
The
bill,
designed
to
align
with
Zimbabwe’s
constitutional
principles
and
development
goals,
has
sparked
debate
over
whether
its
focus
on
women
unintentionally
excludes
the
challenges
faced
by
men
in
communities
across
the
country.
Thabiso
Nyathi,
an
administrative
officer
at
the
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission,
warned
that
without
careful
balancing,
the
legislation
could
undermine
the
country’s
broader
goal
of
gender
parity.
“The
Gender
Equality
Bill
has
been
more
about
women’s
empowerment,
but
when
we
return
to
the
communities,
men
are
also
part
of
the
equation,”
Nyathi
said.
“It
appears
men
are
being
sidelined.
We
are
promoting
women
while
neglecting
men’s
challenges
of
representation.”
Nyathi
stressed
that
the
bill
must
reflect
Zimbabwe’s
50/50
campaign,
which
targets
equal
representation
of
both
men
and
women
in
all
spheres
of
life.
“We
are
supposed
to
work
within
the
framework
of
the
50/50
campaign.
If
the
bill
focuses
solely
on
women,
we
risk
creating
another
gap,
this
time
for
men,”
he
said.
“Men
are
also
asking:
who
will
represent
us?”
The
delay
in
finalising
the
bill
also
coincides
with
concerns
over
Zimbabwe’s
National
Development
Strategy
1
(NDS1),
the
five-year
economic
blueprint
guiding
the
country
towards
its
Vision
2030
goal
of
becoming
an
upper-middle-income
economy.
Some
stakeholders
argued
that
women
remain
largely
disconnected
from
NDS1
opportunities,
limiting
their
ability
to
fully
benefit
from
national
development
programmes.
“We
need
to
encourage
women
to
participate
actively,
especially
when
new
laws
are
being
drafted,”
Nyathi
said.
“Their
voices
must
be
heard,
not
to
elevate
women
above
men,
but
to
maintain
the
principle
of
balance
set
by
the
50/50
campaign.”
The
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission
also
moved
to
reassure
the
public
that
reports
of
gender-related
discrimination
or
abuse
are
treated
with
strict
confidentiality.
Agripha
Mabhandi,
the
commission’s
investigative
officer,
said
all
cases
are
handled
discreetly,
protecting
the
identity
of
complainants.
“When
someone
reports
in
person,
we
are
guided
by
investigative
ethics,
confidentiality
is
key,”
Mabhandi
said.
“We
focus
on
the
case,
not
the
individual.
Each
report
is
treated
as
a
national
concern
because
many
others
may
suffer
in
silence.”
Mabhandi
added
that
the
commission
offers
various
reporting
channels,
including
anonymous
submissions
and
toll-free
lines.
As
consultations
continue,
the
Gender
Equality
Bill’s
fate
remains
uncertain.
But
officials
say
resolving
the
inclusivity
concerns
is
essential
before
the
draft
law
is
ready
for
parliamentary
debate.
If
passed,
the
bill
is
expected
to
become
a
landmark
measure
shaping
Zimbabwe’s
long-term
efforts
to
achieve
genuine
gender
equality
under
Vision
2030.