The Women for Economic and Social Empowerment (W.E.S.E) has noted with positivity the announcement by the Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube that government is setting aside $2,4 billion for social protection programs targeting women. This move will go a long way in rectifying and correcting the anomalies of society brought on by years ofinequality and gender based discrimination against women on all levels of the social, political and economic framework.
W.E.S.E in the same vein would like to encourage the government that whilst this is a step in the right direction, a lot more needs to be done to address the existing imbalances that are evident around Zimbabwe especially marginalized areas and rural Zimbabwe. These imbalances have doubled due to Covid-19 and the girl child has been seriously affected as the number of teen pregnancies has shockingly risen and these are the greatest stumbling block to achieving gender equality. Government should engage on a national community engagement drive to address this issue and start prioritizing sex education to enlighten young people on the dangers of engaging in sexual activities early.
Issues of sanitary health of women should also be addressed as a matter of urgency especially considering that a lot of women do not have access to basic sanitary wear or access to health facilities. Social issues affecting women such as gender based violence requires collective effort to stimulate society into reforming a number of stereotypes that have been proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be a false narrative and a form of injustice.
W.E.S.E also encourages the government to disburse the funds in a fair and transparent manner that will seek to benefit those who are really in need of that kind of support, they should identify the most vulnerable societies and in the process engage with stakeholders within the issues of women emancipation.
Source: WESE
