By
Ndumiso
Tshuma
Speaking
at
the
Convening
of
CSOs
Networks
for
Collective
Action
meeting
held
on
Friday
in
Bulawayo,
Noble
Hands
Zimbabwe
Executive
Director
and
founder
Willard
Musiyarira
called
for
greater
inclusivity
as
the
country
transitions
from
the
National
Development
Strategy
1
(NDS1)
to
National
Development
Strategy
2
(NDS2).
The
meeting
focused
on
strengthening
civil
society
alliances
on
accountability
and
monitoring
of
gender
equality
in
Zimbabwe.
“As
a
strategic
opportunity
to
embed
gender
equality
inclusion
at
the
heart
of
Zimbabwe
national
development
planning,
all
of
us
should
act
collectively
to
promote
an
inclusive
accountable
gender
responsive
development
gender.”
said
Musiyarira.
He
also
urged
government
action,
calling
upon
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service
and
Social
Welfare
to
act
swiftly
to
have
measures
and
structures
in
place
to
support
organisations
with
submission
for
registration
under
the
newly
PVO
act.
Musiyarira
also
stressed
the
urgent
need
for
the
passage
of
several
critical
bills
such
as
the
Gender
Equality
Bill,
National
Youth
Bill
and
the
Disability
Bill
to
make
sure
that
Zimbabwe’s
legislative
framework
guarantees
gender
equality
and
protects
the
rights
of
women,
girls
and
youth,
and
persons
with
disabilities
across
all
sectors.
“We
urge
the
inclusion
of
men
and
boys
in
the
campaign
against
gender
based
violence,
promoting
positive
activities
to
foster
gender
equity,”
Musiyarira
said.
Musiyarira
called
for
stronger
partnerships
between
CSOs
and
the
government.
“We
encourage
structured
collaboration
between
CSO
and
government
through
institutionalised
platforms
for
monitoring
and
evaluating
gender
responsive
policy
implementations,”
he
said,
calling
for
full
alignment
of
national
laws
with
international
standards.
“We
call
for
the
full
alignment
of
the
disability
bill
of
the
constitution
of
Zimbabwe,
on
2021
disability
policy
and
the
international
human
rights
instruments
including
the
UNCRPD,”
said
Musiyarira.
Addressing
the
issue
of
drug
and
substance
abuse
among
the
youth,
Musiyarira
called
for
urgent
measures
that
include
community
based
treatment,
integration
and
affected
urban
centres.
“We
also
call
for
urgent
measures
to
address
the
drug
and
substance
abuse
amongst
youth
including
community
based
treatment,
integration
and
affected
urban
centres,”
said
Musiyarira.
He
emphasised
the
need
for
improved
data
collection.
“We
recommend
the
recreation
of
the
national
monitoring
and
evaluation
learning
framework
that
collects
gender
disaggregated
data
to
track
and
inform
urban
best
decision
making,”
said
Musiyarira.
Musiyarira
also
urged
inclusive
communication
and
fair
resource
distribution.
“We
also
call
upon
the
government
ministries
and
agencies
of
the
government
and
donor
community
to
adopt
the
inclusive
information
dissemination
mechanism
and
ensure
equitable
distribution
of
resources
and
funding
in
all
regions
of
Zimbabwe,”
said
Musiyarira.
Musiyarira
issued
a
call
to
action
for
certain
ministries
to
take
immediate
action.
“Our
call
to
action,
is
to
respectfully
call
upon
the
following
to
take
immediate
action:
The
Ministry
of
Women
Affairs,
Community
Small
and
Medium
Enterprises
Development,
the
Ministry
of
Industry
and
Commerce,
the
Ministry
of
Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion,
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service
Labour
and
Social
Welfare,
the
Ministry
of
Youth
Empowerment
Development
and
Vocational
Training,
the
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education,
the
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission,
the
Zimbabwe
Human
Rights
Commission,
the
Zimbabwe
Youth
Council
and
the
donor
community,”
said
Musiyarira.
He
stated
that
these
institutions
are
encouraged
to
collaborate
with
civil
society
actors.
“These
institutions
are
encouraged
to
collaborate
with
civil
society
actors
to
make
sure
that
Zimbabwe
development
trajectory
is
inclusive
and
anchored
on
constitutional
and
international
obligations,”
said
Musiyarira