Women - Raise your voices in the Constitution Outreach!
During the last national census conducted in the country, women accounted for 52% of Zimbabwe’s population. Zimbabwean women play critical roles in society and the economy both in their individual and caring roles.
Women in Zimbabwe constitute less than 18% of the country’s political leadership and even less of its business ownership and leadership. Zimbabwe’s present constitution lags behind other constitutions throughout the world in terms of failing to guarantee the equality of women and men, and to protect them from discrimination, whilst instead actually giving licence to the worst kinds of discrimination against women, such as that in family law.
Women are however the only sector of Zimbabwean society that is specifically mentioned by name in Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement which sets out the people-driven, people-owned, democratic and inclusive constitution writing process whose outreaches programmes have started.
Article 6 says that the new constitution must deepen our democratic values, and particularly enhance the full citizenship and dignity of women. Women must therefore raise their voices loud and clear in the writing of the constitution of Zimbabwe so that this can be realized. Women must, in large numbers, attend the public consultation meetings being held in each of Zimbabwe’s 1957 wards.
They must also hand in their written submissions. They must speak out and give their views on each and every thematic area and every one of the 26 talking points. They must speak not only about talking point no. 5 on Women and Gender Issues. Neither must it be they alone who speak on this issue –men must also speak on this because Zimbabwean men, women and children all stand to benefit from a society that practices gender equality.
A society whose fundamental principles, citizenship, human rights, legislature, executive, judiciary, executive and independent commissions, local government, public finances, elections and culture all reflect gender equality can only be built upon a constitutional foundation. COPAC therefore urges women to also drive and own this process so that it can be truly inclusive and democratic.
