Gender equality is central to human development and to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as to the enhancement of development effectiveness. We are therefore committed to and attach great importance to gender equality and women's empowerment in all aspects of our work. Gender mainstreaming is one of the strategies that the Country Office (CO) utilises to promote the integration of gender perspectives into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.

In Zimbabwe, gender disparities characterise all aspects of development, with Zimbabwe ranked at 130 in the global gender related development index according to the Human Development Report 2007/2008, reflecting the generally low status of women with respect to access, control and ownership of economic resources and positions in decision-making processes. This is despite the promulgation of various laws and the signature, ratification and accession to several regional and international declarations, conventions and protocols aimed at creating an enabling environment for the attainment of equity and equality between men and women.

UNDP Zimbabwe's contributions to gender equality are premised on the following pillars:

• transformation of its own management, programming and related administrative processes to enhance gender equality and mainstreaming
• supporting the enhancement of national level capacities for effective gender policy coordination, implementation and monitoring & evaluation within the framework of the National Gender Policy
• strategic partnerships within the UN system through the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) Zimbabwe Gender Theme Group and other strategic development partnerships in particular, the European Commission
• collaborating with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

The Country Office is making efforts to support the strengthening of the capacity of the National Gender Machinery i.e. the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development to assume a leading role in all aspects of gender and development, planning and budgeting, and ensuring the mainstreaming of gender into all sectors. UNDP Zimbabwe uses its own core resources to finance current interventions.

Current Interventions

The Country Office in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women is currently supporting the following initiatives amongst others:

• enhancing the participation of women in decision making processes with primary focus on women in Parliament and local Authorities
• enhancing the participation of women in economic activities through income generation projects and entrepreneurial skills training

The UNDP CO, in collaboration with mainly with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development and Non- Governmental Organisations, has initiated the following interventions since January 2009:

1. Engagement and sensitization  of men and women parliamentarians on gender issues
2. Engagement and sensitization of members of female and male members of  Parliament, NGOs, the  academia and journalists on the importance of the International Women's Day, focusing on the impact of Gender Based Violence (GBV) on women and girls and the link between GBV and poverty.
3. Facilitation of dialogue on the Constitutional Reform Processes with the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, NGOs and government officials
4. Finalisation of the needs assessment report on the participation of women in entrepreneurial activities with special focus on women in rural areas
5. Support to the Ministry of Women  Affairs, Gender and Community Development consultative meeting with stakeholders from government and the NGO community on the Beijing +5 follow up
6. Support to the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe comprised of several NGOs to mobilise Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and strategise on how to best participate in the Constitution Making Process
7. Support to the induction, confidence building, strategic planning and constitution making process for women Parliamentarians

Gender Equality Projects
Gender Equality and Women Empowerment