In the Chivi, Gutu and Zaka districts, which fall under the Mutirikwi and Tokwe sub-catchment councils, opportunities have increased for women to take on leadership roles and participate in decision-making processes related to water governance at village and ward level.
This important shift is supported by the NGO EnviroPress Zimbabwe, through a gender mainstreaming grant provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through its Swiss-funded BRIDGE programme. The initiative focusses on building leadership skills and growing confidence of the women in three District, Chivi, Gutu and Zaka districts, to allow them to have a greater role in local community water management.
Through a multi-step approach including participatory field assessments to identify specific needs and gaps, leadership and advocacy training sessions, and mentorship identification the project aims to inform a long-term strategy and action plan. Currently, there is a demonstrable improvement in perceptions of gender equality in water resource management among participants in these largely patriarchal rural communities. Notably, traditional leaders and ward councillors have pledged to ensure that women and young people are represented in ward committees, water user committees, and village development committees.
“As the chairperson of ward development projects, I want to ensure that our young people and women are not left behind in those committees. That is the least I can do as a public representative,” said Zaka Ward 22 Councillor Steven Paradza.
This sentiment was echoed by Village Head Bernard Kubvoruno who emphasised the need for greater support for prospective women office holder.
Photo: EnviroPress Zimbabwe
The project demonstrated that technical capacity building for women alone is insufficient without simultaneous engagement of male decision‑makers who control access to community governance spaces. By intentionally involving village heads and ward councillors in leadership orientation sessions, the project secured public pledges from figures like Councillor and Village Head to actively promote women’s and youth representation in ward committees, water user committees, and village development committees. Their endorsements legitimised women’s leadership in environments where public roles for married women have historically been restricted. This created enabling conditions that amplified the impact of women’s training. The project emphasised that gender mainstreaming programmes must treat traditional and local government leaders as co‑beneficiaries, not just gatekeepers, building their awareness and accountability alongside women’s capacity. Without this dual approach, even well‑capacitated women may continue to face exclusion due to entrenched patriarchal norms at the point of nomination or election.
Map: EnviroPress Zimbabwe
Through close collaboration, the project has also assisted the two sub-catchment councils in improving the implementation of their internal gender-inclusive policies and practices.
Currently, the focus of the project is on two rivers within the Save River Basin, while there is potential to expand this further in this complex basins managed through 25 micro-catchment sub-zones in Zimbabwe alone should the right opportunities arise.
Photos: EnviroPress Zimbabwe
