TaLI Statement on the International Women’s Day
Tag a Life International (TaLI) joins the world in commemorating the International Women Day in this Women’s month. Now more than ever there is urgent need to #PressForProgress! With the world recording progress in advancing women and girls rights, and also recording some push back on the gains of work done to date, we can never be complacent. Now is the time to have women and girls more than diligent in calling for parity, in addressing inequalities between sexes, in holding their leaders accountable for the commitments to advance women and girls rights.
For Zimbabwe we take this day the 8th of March 2018 to speak to the new administration in our country regarding parity for citizens reminding the government that women are more than 52% of our population, and that they are equal citizens deserving equal treatment. We appeal to our government to respect the constitution and ensure women and girls have equal opportunities as those of men and boys. We remind the New Administration of President Mnangagwa to prioritise women and call on his actions and all party manifestos as we enter the elections period to spell out how they intend to roll out equality in all activities including representation of women in the presidium, the executive and all government organs. We remind them that women and youths represent more than three quarters of our population and are capable of leading and informing their own issues from a position of leadership and not a position of being subjects.
As a girls and young women’s rights organisation pushing forward for progress for our nation acknowledging the heavy responsibilities that lies on the shoulders of the new administration in restoring our country, TaLI encourages the government of Zimbabwe through the leadership of President Mnangagwa of the following;
That the Voice of the People is the Voice of God and therefore asks the President to respond and action the letter that TaLI on behalf of Every Child In School – ECIS campaign wrote to his Excellency the President of Zimbabwe dated 26 February 2018, which requested the new administration “To Put Every Child In School during his first 100 days”. The letter requested that the president puts children at the centre of his dispensation by holding the Minister of Primary and Secondary School accountable for swift action to release a “Circular” to ensure vulnerable out-ofschool primary level children are accepted into government and council primary schools and that school fees and levies do not hinder children access as it is their right according Section 75 of our Constitution. That guardians be allowed to negotiate payment plans while children are in school. In the same letter we requested for urgent alignment of the the Education and Children’s Act with the constitution. We reiterate that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education must be held accountable to the fact that ‘it is no longer business as usual’, and postponing acting on citizens calls such as circular releases that help children access to education must be the thing of the past, and that this dispensation must not ignore citizens, but must listen and act on citizens recommendations and requests with urgency.
That the government puts in place measures to ensure women and girls representation in leadership, and that Zimbabwe respects and makes effort to clearly implement gender equality in all its programmes including “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”, removing violence against women in private and public spaces including before, during and after elections.