By Stacey R. Nyamasoka
Confronting and transforming harmful gender norms, we can create a society that values and respects all individuals and works to prevent GBV; hence addressing gender norms issues is crucial by ensuring inclusive gender-responsive policy making and meaningful participation of young women in public life. As a former Junior Town Clerk, after the Women’s Democracy Network gender responsive policy making training workshop I attended, I have been reflecting on the challenges that junior councilor’s face which has a limiting lifelong bearing on their participation in leadership and public life.
Stacey R Nyamasoka
Some of the challenges I witnessed include sexual exploitation ‘grooming’, weak reporting mechanisms to access justice, when young women brave reporting inequalities they get silenced, being made invisible during meetings where no one intentional allocate space and voice for participation.
Mors so consistent push back, confidence erosion for example the issue of sanitary wear was always discarded when we brought it up because the patrons were all male and mensuration (kumwedzi) was not a serious issue that needed solving.
The junior mayor post was at most reserved for the boy child while the girl child was left for the junior town clerk, deputy mayor and other lesser posts.
Some of the social norms related challenges affecting young women’s participation in public life includes limited decision-making power for some who are below the age of 18 and still under the support of their families they require permission from their parents to participate, they are expected to prioritize house chores and take care of the homes, they are expected to respect elders where by age if anyone within family older than them has the same interest on the leadership opportunities they wish to pursue.
Moreover, they are expected to fore go their ambition, sometimes their parents may not appreciate the need for them to participate or may they provide support required for example costs related to young women participation for example airtime and transport money.
For those married, the social norms limit their participation as they are expected to prioritize family and can participate based on permission from their in-laws and their husbands. For some families who are open to their young women to participate, some societies judge them harshly, and it brings discouragement and chill effect for those who will be supporting young women’s participation.
Nonetheless realities of young women’s participation in public life sometimes is all about tokenism or symbolic representation for example through allocating deputy and secretary or general committee member roles to young women, adultism and patronizing attitudes where young women’s voices are controlled and prescribed by adults, Balancing schoolwork and public participation responsibilities becomes challenging issue to time.
In addition poverty, limited access to information and training limited skills to influencing policy decision, peer pressure against participation, Self-doubt, confidence issues, fear of capacity to manage expectations, accountability, dealing with conflicts and disagreements. There are mostly limited opportunities for young women’s participation leadership roles and Stereotyping and bias from adults and peers that scares and discourages young women from participation in public life.
Despite the above challenges, it is possible to strengthen young women’s participation, leadership, and impact in public life towards sustainable development. Addressing these challenges can be through establishment of supportive structures, training, and facilitating platforms and support mechanisms to unlock and sustain young women’s power so that they can overcome them, thrive and make a meaningful difference in their communities and other spaces.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 Section 20, the youths are defined as people between the ages of 15-35 years; guided by Africa Youth Charter for which Zimbabwe is a signatory.
Zimbabwe is an extremely young country, with 62% of the population below the age of 25 years, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Zimbabwe.
However, time is now to prioritize Youth-Led Programming which acknowledges young women’s self-representation as leaders’ agents of change and catalysts for sustainable change that builds a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Furthermore, involving the young women should not just be having them as mere participants but they should be involved in every step of policies and development programs design, implementation and oversight. Junior Councilors, presents an opportunity for galvanizing young people’s participation and ownership of them taking responsibility as rights holders to play their part in community and national development.
Some of the strategies to consider can include gender training, gender-sensitive facilitation of mass public awareness-raising to mobilize communities to take action, stand against all forms of gender-based violence, as well as participate to inform policies and procedures to prevent discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for all leaving no one behind.
As part of the 10 days of Activism against GBV, i recommend the following:
- Sexual Exploitation and ‘Grooming’: This type of predatory behavior from senior councilors is completely unacceptable and must be addressed urgently. There needs to be a robust code of conduct and training on sexual harassment and abuse prevention for all councilors. Any allegations of misconduct should be thoroughly investigated by an independent body and perpetrators should face serious consequences. Confidential reporting mechanisms and victim support services must also be established.
- Limited Funds: Dedicated funding streams for junior council initiatives should be secured, potentially through partnerships with local businesses, none governmental organisations(NGOs) or government youth development programs. Participatory budgeting processes could also empower junior councilors to shape spending priorities. Crowdfunding campaigns may also be an avenue to supplement limited resources.
- Eligibility Restrictions: The policy excluding private school students from junior councils should be reevaluated. Expanding participation to a broader cross-section of youth can strengthen the representativeness and impact of these bodies. Outreach and recruitment efforts may be needed to engage marginalized communities.
- Menstrual Health: The dismissive attitudes towards menstrual health issues are highly problematic. Junior councilors should be allowed to advocate for the provision of free sanitary products in schools and public spaces. Menstrual health education and destigmatization campaigns are also crucial. Having more gender-diverse representation on councils could help ensure these vital issues are taken seriously.
- Gender Discrimination: The disproportionate allocation of leadership roles to male junior councilors is unacceptable gender discrimination. Strict gender parity targets should be implemented, along with mentorship and capacity building programs to empower young women in these positions. Implicit bias training for senior councilors may also help address these ingrained biases.
Confronting gender norms requires ongoing effort and collective action. Let’s work together to create a society where everyone can thrive and live free from violence and discrimination.
I am committed to play my part to contribute to a society where young women are bold to take up leadership and participation in public life. Join me and support young women in your life so that together we create an enabling environment that is safe and that support young women’s participation, free from fear and all forms of gender-based violence
#TimeToAct