UN commends Zimbabwe for prioritizing gender equality

The UN Women on Wednesday commended the Zimbabwe government for prioritizing gender equality among the new sustainable development goals.

The Zimbabwe government has prioritized 10 out of the 17 new SDGs with gender equality among the prioritized goals.

The UN Women Zimbabwe representative Delphine Serumaga said at an occasion to mark International Women's Day in Harare that the Zimbabwe government had taken a good decision that will help the country's efforts in attaining gender parity.

"Gender equality is one of the new sustainable development goals and it is one of the goals that has been prioritized by the Zimbabwe government. It is good that the Zimbabwe government has taken that position," she said.

She said while there was a show of commitment at the highest level to promote gender parity, more effort was still required to enhance access and protection of women's rights in the country.

Challenges such as drought, depressed economy and harmful religious and cultural practices that lead to child marriages were impacting on efforts to promote gender parity in the country, she said.

She stated that four percent of girls in Zimbabwe marry by age 15 while 31 percent marry before they reach 18 years.

"We therefore need to step up what we are doing to ensure gender parity," the UN official said.

Among other approaches to ensure gender parity, there was need for gender mainstreaming in almost all aspects of life and increased advocacy for women's rights by men.

The society also needs to address patriarchy issues and ensure it builds a more female friendly society, she said.

The UN theme for International Women's Day was: "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality". Endit