Source: Govt committed to gender mainstreaming on disaster risk management | The Herald
Blessings Chidakwa and Precious Manomano
Government is fully committed to work with development partners in gender mainstreaming on disaster risk management following various assessments on disaster-hit areas showing a gender disparity on the relief programmes or projects offered to affected communities.Giving welcome remarks during a round table policy discussion on gender mainstreaming in disaster risk management in Harare, Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian Chombo said it was key to explore pathways for coherent policy and programmatic actions that the Government can take, to ensure maximum protection of vulnerable population women, men, boys and girls.
“Indeed, the impact of disasters is on the rise and there is an urgent need to reduce disaster impact. This can only be done by shifting the official paradigm from a sole emphasis on disaster response to comprehensive disaster risk reduction (DRR),” she said.
The round table policy discussion on gender mainstreaming in disaster risk management follows a three-day workshop of training of trainers on gender and disaster risk management which ended yesterday spearheaded by the African Risk Capacity and was attended by various stakeholders including Government departments, traditional leaders, civic society organisations and the media.
African Risk Capacity committed to avail funding so that Zimbabwe can be used as a pilot country for gender mainstreaming on disaster risk management.
Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Jennifer Mhlanga was the key guest, while National Housing and Social Amenities Deputy Minister Yeukai Simbanegavi was also among the top Government dignitaries.