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REPORT OF THE SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT AND AWARDS

MASVINGO DISTRICT LEVEL SUMMIT

ZIMBABWE

VENUE: GREAT ZIMBABWE HOTEL DATE: 26 - 27 MARCH 2014

Anneta Breda- Masvingo City Council GFP making a presentation at the District Summit: Photo by Tapiwa Zvaraya

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Executive summary

Quick facts

29 participants: 20 females and 9 males in Local Government COE category

11 councils represented.

This is a report for the Zimbabwe district level summit held at Great Zimbabwe Hotel on 26-27 March 2014. The summit was attended by mainly officials from the Centres of Excellence Councils (COE) i.e. the gender focal persons (GFPs) and gender champions (GCs) from 11 councils (9 urban and 2 rural) as well as donors, i.e. the Swedish Embassy.

In total there were 29 participants: 21 females and 8 males. The participants list is attached as Annex B. 11 presentations were made in total from which four councils emerged as

winners and runner-ups and an additional most improved council. The summit was solely meant for the COE category as it was an event that doubled up as a monitoring and evaluation exercise through which councils would assess their progress in the COE

programme. The programme of events is attached as Annex A while the evaluation is attached as Annex C.

Analysis of participants Male Female Total % Male % Female

Entrant 1 10 11 9.09 90.91

Officials 2 3 5 40 60

Judge 2 0 2 100 0

Councillors 1 6 7 14.29 85.71

Donor 1 0 1 100 0

Staff 1 2 3 33.3 66.7

Total 8 21 29 27.59% 72.41%

Programme Welcome and introduction The Director of Ceremonies, Ms Melania Mandeya officially welcomed and introduced participants and officials to the summit. She exclaimed great pleasure at being at this pivotal gathering where councils had were presented with the opportunity to showcase their best

practices in the inaugural Gender Links District Summit. GL Zimbabwe Country Manager, Priscilla Maposa gave an overview of the summit process.

She highlighted that this year’s summit had taken a new procedure with the district summits which would be preceded by the National Summit. The purpose of the district summit was not only to showcase best practices, but also provided a platform on which councils’ work

would be verified to monitor the progress of the Centres of Excellence (COE) process. She went on to further explain the COE process for the benefit of some individuals particularly councillors who were attending the summit and GL activities for the first time. In addition

she took the opportunity to thank the Swedish Embassy for their support of the COE process and the GL office at large. It was her hope that this partnership would continue so that the work that GL was undertaking would be continued.

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Opening remarks The mayor of Masvingo City Council,

Councillor Fidze officially opened the Summit. He stated that this was a great opportunity which sought to celebrate the

collective efforts that local authorities and the nation had made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on

Gender Mainstreaming. He reiterated that ‘less than a year from now, governments including local authorities will be required to

account for the initiatives they have taken to achieve the targets of this unique sub-regional instrument that brings together

existing global and continental commitments to gender equality’. It was his hope that meanwhile this was a competition it was imperative that this be taken as a learning

process.

Remarks from Swedish Embassy

Swedish Embassy representative Wonder Jekemu gave some remarks on behalf of the

Swedish Embassy in which he stated that the embassy believed in a world that is equitable

where women and men should benefit

equally. He highlighted that the Zimbabwean environment and culture has made them take note of the fact that women are disadvantaged. This phenomena is also prevalent across Africa. Consequently the Embassy

embarked on pulling resources for programmes targeted at gender equality. He reiterated their pleasure at working with GL through the Centres of Excellence (COE) program. He stated that local government was the institution closest to the people and as such was in a

position to know their immediate needs. He said, “It is our belief that if we capacitate the woman, issues to do with development will be done to the full”. In addition the Swedish Embassy had realized that there were few women in positions of decision-making, thus they

are making a deliberate effort to ensure women are empowered and their voices are heard.

Plenary sessions

Briefing on other summit entries Two plenary sessions were undertaken over the two day summit. Participants were guided through sessions on the other entries they could make for the National Summit i.e. 50/50

and the post 2015; Gender, Climate Change and the Post 2015; GBV and the post 2015 and Women’s rights and the post 2015. It was highlighted that, councillors could take the opportunity to apply in the leadership category. Explanations were that councils could pick

some areas of their case studies and apply for the various categories due for presentation at the national summit.

It was explained that they could use the online application forms to make submissions. Emphasis was put on the need to ensure that there was enough evidence to go with the application some, of which they would have to submit in hard copy files to the Gender Links

office. Participants highlighted that they would take up the challenge to ensure that there

Wonder Jekemu giving remarks on behalf of the Swedish Embassy Photo: Tapiwa Zvaraya

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would be as many entries for the National summit as it would present a platform on which councils would showcase the work they are doing.

Analysis of presentations Participants had the chance to give input

on the quality of presentations and their observations during the course of the summit. Participants commended the

presenters for their presentations. Among the strengths shown in the presentations, it was highlighted that

there was a great improvement in the quality of presentations and personal development of the presenters, most of

whom had been presenting for the second or third time. In addition it was observed that during the course of the COE process some councils were not

doing well but had markedly improved the quality of work in their councils as exhibited by their presentations.

On the weaknesses it was noted that there was need for presenters to ensure that their presentations were aligned to what they were reporting in the scorecard. Presenters also

needed to be time conscious and not dwell too much on unnecessary facts on the slides. It was imperative that presenters be confident and present only what they had, rather than what they did not have. Overall the exercise was a great opportunity where councils helped

each other identify areas of strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities for further engagement. This was particularly necessary for the councils that were going to be proceeding to the National Summit.

Judges’ comments The judges’ were afforded the opportunity to share their observations on the presentations.

Their presentation was divided into 3 with judges focusing on the presentation, answering of questions and presentation of slides and evidence.

Below are some of the comments they gave to participants on the different aspects mentioned.

Presentation The presentation of your report is a very important stage in the Judges final decision. Do

not spoil a good project through poor presentation skills. The following guidelines will help improve your presentation:

Be steady, calm and confident. Maintain eye contact with your audience and the Judges.

Talk to your presentation, do not read. Do not be emotional maintain your composure.

Highlight the best points about your best practice not the worst points. Avoid excessive gesturing.

Dress formally.

Daniel Chirundu making a presentation for the judges. Photo: Tapiwa Zvaraya

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Remember to raise your voice to ensure you are audible.

Make your presentation in your preferred language. Do not mix languages by switching from English to Shona or Ndebele.

Explain your points do not take anything for granted e.g. DAAC. Explain the role of

Council. Face the audience; never give them your back.

Anticipate questions and explain issues. There is no substitute for rehearsal, make sure you rehearse thoroughly in front of a

colleague or in front of a mirror.

Answering questions Questions are not an attack on you but are intended to make you clarify certain issues,

elaborate on points raised or provide further information. Do not be defensive. Use it as an opportunity to highlight your good points.

Confine yourself to answering the question and not provide unnecessary information. Read the Judges faces to see if you have answered the question adequately.

If there is no need to explain you can simply indicate that the point has been noted.

Do not argue. Give examples from your evidence File rather than thinking of new things.

Be familiar with information in your file for ease of answering questions. Be polite to the Judges.

Remain composed; do not be unruffled regardless of the intensity of the questioning.

Quality of slides and evidence file Present points not sentences. Observe the 6 by 6 rule.

Each point maximum 6 words.

Each slides maximum 6 points. Choice of background colour.

Pictures speak for themselves. Brand evidence file

Include relevant items only Evidence should speak to scorecard.

Electronic evidence on CDs. Include drafts policies.

Include contents page. Gather evidence continuously.

Awards The summit saw councils show case their best practices. Though typically similar in many

ways, the best practices ranged from eradication of GBV, improvement in service delivery particularly in water and sanitation. Councils have shown an impact of the work of the COE process by institutionalizing the process. As such this has given rise to policy documents

being adopted by the councils. The competition was tough and judges had to settle for the winners as follows:

Category Winner Runner up

Urban Councils Bulawayo City Council Masvingo City Council

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Category Winner Runner up

Rural District Councils Zvimba Rural District Council Goromonzi Rural District

Council

Most Improved Council- Chitungwiza Municipality

Summit outcomes

There are major shifts in the Zimbabwean local government arena, with the Ministry of

Local Government making it mandatory for town clerks to have gender issues inculcated into their contracts as a key result area as has been done for the Permanent Secretary.

This is a great step towards ensuring the institutionalization of gender issues and will make the cascading of COEs much simpler.

COE cascading models.

Political will by councils. Most councillors present were new and as such the summit gave them the opportunity to understand and buy into the COE process already began by

their respective councils. This also put them in a position where they could move gender issues in council meetings, now that they understood the COE process.

This district summit provided the opportunity for the Swedish Embassy to actually realize

the impact of the COE work on the ground. Participants learnt a great deal from each other as witnessed by their presentations.

Some actually highlighted to have adopted some of their practices from other COEs. Judges input was very essential in a bid to improve the quality of presentations as well

as encourage councils to take these issues more seriously. Summit realized the need for councils to step up their efforts to raise awareness on

gender issues especially now that we are headed for the evaluation of the Protocol in

2015. Lessons Learned

District level summit and the local government COEs The GFPs in the Local Government COEs

have taken it upon themselves to pass on

the knowledge in their institutions. As such most of them are being succeeded by other individuals who will carry the work

forward e.g. Chegutu, Ruwa, etc. Some councils do not have specific budget

lines for gender issues but all the same are

working towards mainstreaming these with the little resources they can get through partnerships and other initiatives.

Gender champions have been at the fore of gender activities through their ward

committees and have tried to seek buy-in from their peers in council. Most of them have been given leadership responsibilities

as Mayors (Kariba) and chairs of committees. Plenary sessions The plenary sessions highlighted to the participants the need to be always prepared.

Constance Chinyemba poses with Councillor Fidze at the awards ceremony Photo: Tapiwa Zvaraya

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Participants also noted that there was need for continuous collection of data to ensure

the monitoring and evaluation process of council’s work on gender is smooth and traceable.

Quality of presentation There is need for councils to continuously engage the media so that outreach of their

work is documented. Some councils have established multiple partnership arrangements in order to enhance service delivery.

First time presenters- Marondera, Shurugwi particularly presented well for first timers.

Next steps

Zimbabwe is seeking to finalize a Memorandum of Agreement with The Ministry of Local Government

The cascading of COEs needed to presume another approach as GL cannot go it alone. Since the last election has seen a reduction in the number of women in local government

there is need for WLGF and other players to engage government so that a legislative quota for representation of women in local government can be introduced. This is especially looking at the 2018 elections.

The DLS summit will be preceded by the National Summit to be held from 14-17 April and then the Regional Summit in May 2014.

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Annexes

Annex A: Programme

Zimbabwe District SADC Gender Protocol Summit and Awards: Programme

‘50/50 by 2015: Demanding a strong post 2015 agenda!’ DAY ONE: 26 MARCH 2014

District summit – Day One

OPENING CEREMONY

8.00-8.30 Registration Gender Links

8.30-8.45 Welcome and introductions Director of Ceremonies

8.45-9.00 Official Welcome Mayor- Masvingo City Council

9.00-9.30 Overview of Process Gender Links

9.30-9.40 Remarks- Swedish Embassy Mr. Jekemu

9.40-10.10 Key note address Ministry of Local Government

10.10-10.30 TEA

PRESENTATIONS

10.30-11.15 Gweru City Council Unity Jaji Case study and score card

11.15-12.00 Chiredzi Town Council Owen Gwasira Case study and score card

12.00-12.45 Zvimba Rural District Council Faimesi Shamhu Case study and score card

12.45-13.30 Bulawayo City Council Audrey Manyemwe Case study and score card

13.30-14.30 LUNCH

14.30-15.15 Masvingo City Council Annette Breda Case study and score card

15.15-16.00 Beitbridge Town Council Pio Muchena Case study and score card

16.00-16.45 Shurugwi Town Council Lizzie Makohliso Case study and score card

16.45 TEA AND CLOSURE

District summit – Day Two

8.30 Welcome Director of Ceremonies

9.00-9.45 Goromonzi Rural District Council Constance Chinyemba Case study and score card

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9.45-10.30 Chitungwiza Municipality Mary Mukonyora Case study and score card

10.30-11.00 TEA

11.00-11.45 Tongogara Rural District Council Towandasei Gomba Case study and score card

11.45-12.30 Kwekwe City Council Athanas Chidzurira Case study and score card

12.30-13.15 Marondera Municipality Merjury Svisva Case study and score card

13.15-14.15 LUNCH

14.15-16.00 Briefing on other entries that Councils can

Make/Online forms.

GL Local government Gender

Summit Pack

Gender Champion

Fifty Fifty and the post 2015 agenda

Gender, Climate Change and the Post 2015 Agenda

GBV and the post 2015 Agenda

Women’s rights and the post 2015 Agenda

14.15-16.00 (Judges finalise scores, GL computes scores)

AWARDS

18.00 Welcome Director of Ceremonies

Entertainment

Remarks from Masvingo Town Clerk Mr Gusha

Runner up – urban

Runner up – rural

Winner – urban

Winner – Rural

Best improved performance

19.30 Dinner and Refreshments

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Annex B: Participants list Zimbabwe District SADC Gender Protocol

Summit and Awards Venue: Masvingo

Date: 24 - 27 March 2014

SURNAME NAME DESIGNATION ORGANISATION CATEGORY SEX E MAIL CELL PHONE

1. Chinyemba Constance GFP Goromonzi rural

district council

COE F conniechinyemba@yahoo.co

m

0772 487 771

2. Tambara Charity Councillor Goromonzi rural district council

COE F 0775 746 195

3. Muchena Pio Environmental health officer

Beitbridge town council

COE M piomuchena@gmail.com 0772 387 418

4. Jekemu Wonder Programmes manager

Embassy of sweden

COE M wonder.jekemu@gov.se 0772 278 801

5. Mulowa Sitha Councillor Beitbridge town

council

COE F sithabisiwe@gmail.com 0773 496 115

6. Ngwenya Noah Auditor Shurugwi town council

COE M noahngwenya@hotmail.co.uk 0777 402 857

7. Dube Thandiwe City treasurer Masvingo city council

COE F tdube@masvingocity.co.zw 0772 570 184

8. Mandigo Alex Town clerk Chegutu

municipality

COE M alexmandigo@gmail.com 0712 432 634

9. Jaji Unity Acting director

housing

Gweru city council COE F unyja@yahoo.co.uk 0712 432 581

10. Nhemachena Mariah Councillor Marondera municipality

COE F 0775 630 093

11. Chirundu Danny Director health Kadoma city council

COE M dchirundu@me.com 0773 235 595

12. Gwasira Owen Auditor Chiredzi twon COE M owennkm@yahoo.co.uk 0773 054 191

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SURNAME NAME DESIGNATION ORGANISATION CATEGORY SEX E MAIL CELL PHONE

council

13. Manyemwe Audrey Snr H&S officer Bulawayo COE F amanyemwe@citybyo.co.zw 07772 852 283

14. Makohliso Lizzie GFP Shurugwi town council

COE F Lizziema.stc@gmail.com 0773 497 470

15. Breda Annette GFP Masvingo city

council

COE F utandie@gmail.com 0712 869 052

16. Mupupuri Edzai Councillor Kwekwe city council

COE F 0773 859 419

17. Bwakaya Fainesi GFP Zvimba rdc COE F faib28@hotmail.com 0773 999 561

18. Chidzurira Athanas GFP City of kwekwe COE M achidzurira@gmail.com 0772 545 353

19. Kamushinda Idah Councillor Zvimba rdc COE F 0772 912 661

20. Ncube Mlandu Councillor Bulawayo city council

COE M cllrmncube@citybyo.co.zw 0774 377 174

21. Mukonyora Mary GFM Chitungwiza municipality

COE F rasmizi@gmail.com 0772 133 457

22. Mhondiwa Catherine Councillor Gweru city council COE F cathiemhonds@gmail.com 0775 591 095

23. Svisva Majory GGFP Municipality of marondera

COE F svisvam@cooltoad.com 0772 451 067

24. Chikerema Prettymore CSO Chiredzi town council

COE F schikerema@gmail.com 0773 551 359, 0715 119

555

25. Vengesai Pricalar Chamer secretary

Chitungwiza COE F priccssy@yahoo.com 0772 138 706

26. Mandeya Melania Gender focal person

Chegutu municipality

COE F mandeyamlavia@gmail.com 0772 624 296

27. Maposa Priscilla Cm Gender links F

28. Karikoga Abigail FO Gender links F

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SURNAME NAME DESIGNATION ORGANISATION CATEGORY SEX E MAIL CELL PHONE

29. Zvaraya Tapiwa CA Gender links M

Analysis by gender

Male 8 27.6%

Female 21 72.4%

Total 29 100

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Annex C: Evaluation form

Date: 26-27 February 2014

Venue: Great Zimbabwe Hotel 24 Evaluations Received

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8

9

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Total

Programme Design 6 10 8 24

Programme Content 1 8 11 19

Documentation 9 6 8 23

Facilitation 1 5 6 10 22

Group Work 1 3 7 3 2 4 21

Outputs 2 5 4 9 20

Outcomes & Follow Up plans 1 1

3 4 7 5 19

Learning Opportunity 2 3 6 13 24

Network Opportunity 1 1 2 6 11 21

Administrative Arrangements

1 5 8 9 23

WORKSHOP EVALUATION SUMMARY

Evaluation area Rating

1 Programme design 91%

2 Programme content 95%

3 Documentation 90%

4 Facilitation 90%

5 Group work 74%

6 Outputs 88%

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Outcomes and follow

up plans 84%

8 Learning opportunity 93%

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Networking

opportunity 92%

10 Administrative arrangements 91%

11 Overall 89%

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Comments

1. Which session did you find most useful? Why? Presentations provide learning forum and sharing of experience

I have gained something from all sessions Presentation of COE, learnt a lot from the good practices from other councils

Discussion on climate change Question and answer session

Presentations. I got to a point where I understood the role of the gender focal person within the council

Presentations because it was confidence building Networking because we managed to share ideas.

2. Which session did you find least useful? Why?

All sessions were useful

Gender Links background as I already knew about that Presentations by local authorities

More work has to be done to facilitate the programme. i.e. technology

3. How will you apply what you have gained from this engagement? Improve on M & E and provide evidence for gender activities

I will share with other councillors I work with Perfect my COE presentation and compile good practices for councillors.

Sharing through discussions with others at my workplace Improve on institutional programmes and gender mainstreaming

Improve in service delivery for example water, housing etc. Advocate for a full time gender focal person to lead a gender committee within the

council Speed up policies and implement new things that I have learnt

4. Any other comments

Good work. Keep it up

This was well organised.

The programme was perfectly prepared and very educative The meeting displayed a critical point of learning curve

The summit was good Thank you Gender Links for continuing to support councils in Zimbabwe. We hope to

continue getting your support post 2015. I observed the importance of gender mainstreaming within councils because this can

be used as a benchmark for service delivery The judges were professional and Gender Links staff were good. I suggest that CEOs and town secretaries should be involved in these summits so

that they can initiate some of these activities in their organizations. Organize workshop on climate change in local authorities

This summit has proved to be an excellent programme for women because we have suffered a lot in the workplace and in our homes. This brought light to us.