WCOZ urges govt to address gender imparity, imbala...

WCOZ urges govt to address gender imparity, imbalances relating to land

Audrey Galawu

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Women Coalition of Zimbabwe has called upon government to address climate change as one of the key drivers for droughts through increasing women’s leadership in environment processes.

As women and girls experience the greatest impacts of climate change, the organisation said government needs to mainstream gender in development and review of climate change short-and-long term strategies and policies.

The recommendations come as the world celebrates World Environment Day under the theme, “Reviving lands for a brighter future” with this year’s commemorations focusing on restoration, desertification and drought resilience.

“The private sector should support in providing gender-responsive technologies to reduce women’s workload in the household as well as to support sustainable livelihoods including in Agriculture.

“The Zimbabwe Land Commission should publish the Land Audit report with disaggregated data, clearly showing the number of women benefitted from the Land Quota system and the measures are being taken to address the historic land gendered imbalances.

“The Zimbabwe Gender Commission should address gender imparity and imbalances relating to land rights in Zimbabwe,” WCOZ said in a statement.

Without policies and laws that speak directly to the impacts that climate change has on women, WCOZ said women will continue to be disproportionately affected by the vagaries of climate change through a lack of food and water scarcity.

“Approximately 80% of women in Zimbabwe depend on land for their livelihoods especially where crop production and animal husbandry play pivotal roles for survival. However, due to land rights uncertainty (less than 30% own land), and harsh policies which disfavour women’s access to land, women who are the custodians of environment remain vulnerable to poverty and climate change induced shocks.”