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Last week at a Glance Issue 51
Women's Coalition
January 24, 2011

My thoughts

Welcome to the first edition of our weekly bulletin for 2011. We start 2011 with mixed feelings but with great expectations hoping that we have left the troubles of 2010 in the past. Already the year has started on a bleak note in the electricity sector as the nation has been asked to brace itself for excessive load-shedding until maintenance works on the three generator transformers at Kariba Power Station is completed in two weeks time. This is according to media reports in a recent daily newspaper. But what does this mean for the Zimbabwean woman? Waking up early to prepare meals and sleeping late, collecting firewood. Maybe one needs to take this from an optimistic point of view that there is light at the end of a tunnel. Give us your feedback on your thoughts by writing to coalition@zol.co.zw

Constitutional Update

Compiling of the data collected from the constitutional outreach program started last week and is expected to finish by the end of January 2011.

Data collation is the second phase of the constitution making process and involves uploading information gathered from the people during the outreach process. After uploading, the 17 thematic committees will look at the compiled data and present it to the drafting team for use in compiling the constitution. According to the Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) this process is expected to take three months.

After the drafting is complete, the draft constitution will be presented to the second all stakeholders meeting within a month. Thereafter the draft will be debated in Parliament within a month. After the debate the draft constitution will then be gazetted and a referendum will be conducted

According to some media reports, COPAC has set September 30 2011 as the date to hold the referendum to choose a new constitution for Zimbabwe

A glance at the Secretariat's events

Policy and Advocacy

WCoZ will continue to work towards ensuring that the constitutional process guarantees women's equal and effective participation in 2011. WCoZ will continue to lobby for equal representation of women in all committees involved in the Constitution Making Process and this includes the drafting teams and ensuring equal participation in the 2nd all stakeholders conference. The lobbying will be carried out in collaboration with partners such as the Women's Parliament Caucus and the Women Wings in the three political parties.

WCoZ also recognizes the need for women to engage in electoral debates and processes and will therefore will be developing the roadmap to elections for women in Zimbabwe and will therefore be convening meetings with the membership and relevant stakeholders for an inclusive roadmap that speaks for women

Peace Building

WCoZ members implementing the Peacebuilding Project in Masvingo, Midlands and Mashonaland Central will b convening community training of trainers workshop on women and peacebuilding in the 7 districts in each province. The women trained at the district level will develop action plans around women and peacebuilding and organise their public meetings during international days such as the International Women's Day.

International Women's Day 2011 - Centenary Celebrations

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on the 8th of March every year around the world. Each year has its own theme and the global theme for this year is Equal Access to Education, Training and Science and Technology; Pathway to decent work for women. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. 2011 marks the Centenary celebrations as the first IWD was was observed on 19 March 1911 in Germany following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions

Upcoming Events

National Consultative Workshop on Women's Political, Social and Economic Empowerment.

WCoZ in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Community Development and the Organ on National Healing, Reconcilation and Intergration will be convening a National consultative Workshop on Women's Political, Social and Economic Empowerment on the 9th and 10th of February 2011.

WCoZ AGM

The WCoZ Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday 11 February 2011 at the Crowne Plaza.

Membership - Profiles

Jekesa Pfungwa Vulingqondo (JPV) is a membership based women's NGO operating in rural and urban Zimbabwe working closely with disadvantaged women. (JPV) has a membership of over 10,000, women membership accounting for 90% and male membership, 10%. Members pay an annual affiliation fee. Membership is restricted to areas where JPV field officers are located. The members work in groups of 10 to 15. Membership is located in 36 districts of Zimbabwe. Its vision is An empowered member capable of managing and making informed choices about their life. Its Mission Statement is to train, support, inform and advocate for women to assert their rights in order to gain greater control of their livelihoods at individual, family, community, national and regional levels. The Values of the organization are Partnership, Participation, Networking, Good governance, Responsiveness and Ownership.

JPV's main activity is Training. Field Officers are trained in order to train women's groups on essential subjects of interest to them. These entail:

• Business Management
• Food and Nutrition
• Organic Farming
• Leadership and governance
• Skills Development
• HIV and AIDS
• Gender Issues
• Natural Resources and Environmental Management
• Homestead Development Programme

Send your organizations profiles and activities to coalition@zol.co.zw

Visit the Women's Coalition fact sheet

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