By Wallace Mawire
ActionAid Zimbabwe has launched a gender responsive public services and tax justice research report meant to uncover why taxes collected are not translating into effective public service provision, especially for women and girls in marginalized communities.
ActionAid Zimbabwe (AAZ) is actively involved in addressing poverty and promoting gender equality across several districts in Zimbabwe, including Hopley and Mbirz, which are the two districts the study has focused on.
The organization’s approach focuses on economic justice, climate justice and women’s rights. A key component of the organization’s work is the Gender Responsive Public Service (GRPS) framework which aims to make public services inclusive, gender-equitable and universally guided by human rights standards,according to Dr Selina Pasirayi, Programmes Lead at AAZ.
In a presentation on unfinished business focusing on feminist alternatives for Inclusive public services from local to global level, Ruvimbo Nhunhama, Programmes and Policy Manager, Women’s Rights and Economic Justice at ActionAid Zimbabwe, the study specifically aimed to assess budget allocations for essential services, identify bottlenecks in funding usage, evaluate governmental measures for service delivery, review legal frameworks, estimate financial needs for service upgrades and provide fiscal recommendations to improve service access and quality.
Nhunhama said the study sought to identify the gaps between national policies and their practical application at the local level, especially concerning service delivery to marginalized communities.
The report notes that in terms of water provision, despite substantial national budgetary commitments, including an allocation of ZWL$389 billion in 2024 for major projects like the Gwayi-Shangani dam, the improvement in water access at the local level remained minimal.
The report notes that in Hopley and Mbirz, 20% respondents directly cited a lack of water facilities as an issue, including significant challenges with water quality and accessibility. Issues of a disconnect between national investments and local impacts are highlighted. The study also revealed critical issues in the education sector highlighting Infrastructural deficits and resource shortages at the local level. It says that over 92% of schools lacked essential facilities like electricity and proper sanitation.
Infrastructure shortfall was linked to high drop out rates and compromised educational quality, with a particularly dire student to toilet ratio in Mbire, which poses severe implications for gender equality in educational access. Other issues highlighted in the report include mental health services which are said to be in stark contrast between policy intentions and actual service availability. Strategic plans aimed to integrate mental health into primary healthcare systems are lacking.
It says that access to mental health services in rural and peri-urban areas like Mbire and Hopley are non-existent. It is said that the community’s needs, especially in Mbire where mental health challenges are exacerbated by climate change impacts are unmet due to a severe shortage of mental health professionals and facilities.
Issues of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) have been highlighted with the report saying that while national policies supported the services, actual access was hindered by cultural barriers and gender discrimination. It says that the lack of specialized staff and inadequate Healthcare infrastructure in Hopley and Mbire severely restricted women and girls access to essential health services. The report launch was attended by organizations like the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Harare City Council, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (Wcoz), HIVOS, Oxfam, Women in Law Southern Africa (WLSA), SAfAIDS, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Local Government, Self Help Development Foundation and the Female Students Network, just to mention a few.
Officially launching the report, Mrs Lilian Matsika Takaendesa, Chief Director Gender Policy Planning and Programme Management in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development said that women and girls suffer more when service delivery is poor due to the fact that most caregivers are women and girls. Takaendesa hailed ActionAid Zimbabwe for launching the report which she said would also help guide government efforts in gender responsive budgeting issues.
She also said that her ministry is pushing for gender equality and women empowerment to be a stand alone pillar in the forthcoming country’s National Development Strategy (NDS2) framework to enhance national development issues. She also said that it was important for stakeholders to be involved in monitoring gender budgeting and it’s implementation initiatives for national development.
