The “The ILO Gender Equality Conventions fall under our mandate” says the Zimbabwe Gender Commission Chairperson.

(ILO News) Harare: Mwila Chigaga, the Senior Gender Specialist and Christina Holmgren, the Senior International Labour Specialist, both from the Decent Work Team in Pretoria led the two day sensitisation programme for the Gender Commissioners. The activity was held under the United Nations Joint Programme for Gender Equality (JPGE) supported by the Government of Sweden, which is jointly implemented with UNDP and UN Women. The ILO is leading the pillar on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Working Conditions and this intervention falls under the Working Conditions domain.

The main objective of the activity was to share knowledge on the ILO Gender Equality Conventions on women workers’ rights, including on the rights of Domestic Workers; share information on how International Labour Standards (ILS) can be applied and implemented in law and practice, as well as discuss the effects of gender equality deficits in the workplace.

In her opening remarks, the ILO Country Director for Namibia and Zimbabwe, Ms Phororo stated that ‘the Zimbabwe Gender Commission is a key institution, which has the capacity to change the lives of women workers’ in the country.’ She stressed that the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Labour Act recognise women workers’ rights and that more needed to be done in terms of their implementation in the public and private sectors.

Ms Mukahanana-Sangarwe, the Chairperson of the Gender Commission pronounced in her opening remarks that “the ILO Gender Equality Conventions fall under our mandate” underscoring that the Commission will be seized with advocacy efforts and investigations regarding gender related challenges within the workplace. She stated that ‘issues at the forefront of these, concern inter alia: sexual harassment, discrimination in recruitment and promotion, forced labour, equal participation in decision making, equal pay for work of equal value, maternity protection, and domestic workers’ rights.’

As part of the sensitisation, the Commission was also introduced to the ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR). Through dialogue, the Commission identified that they are in a position to support the government in its reporting efforts under the Equal Remuneration and Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Conventions. The CEACR currently made a direct request to the Government of Zimbabwe on the Equal Remuneration and Discrimination Conventions related to gender statistics, the gender pay gap, and affirmative action. The Gender Commission periodically receives cases related to the two conventions and they would be expected to share these with the relevant government counterparts. It was thus necessary for the Commission to be properly guided with relevant information on how its mandate is critical in supporting the improvement of working standards for both men and women in Zimbabwe.

Ms Monica Hanga from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare presented on existing Zimbabwean legislation supporting women workers’ rights citing relevant sections in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Labour Act and subsidiary legislation. Ms Hanga further highlighted practices that the Ministry and other government departments employed to ensure that women gain equal opportunities and treatment in the workplace.

The Chairperson of the Commission thanked the ILO for extending this technical assistance to the Commission. She said that the Commission was aware of the challenges faced by women workers in both the formal and informal economies. Through continued partnerships, she hoped that the Gender Commission would be able to fulfil its mandate and ensure that women workers’ rights are not forgotten in the general gender equality discourse.