Source: New Zimbabwe
The government is committed to implementing a gender policy that will see more women occupying key decision-making positions, the Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson Tsitsi Choruma has said.
"On gender policy we are still working on the legislative part as the Public Service Commission. We have already started implementing elements of this policy in recruitment," she said.
She was responding to a question and answer session during Zimbabwe government's report on elimination of all forms discrimination against women in Geneva, Switzerland, last Friday.
"Non-discrimination from a perspective of participation of acknowledging everybody has the right to participate but also to be included. If you look at all the commissions in the country there are eight of them, out of 70 positions in those commissions,which is 42%, are occupied by women," said Choruma.
"I will also go further into leadership positions in government and these are people who are making decisions in government. We are looking at ambassadors, permanent secretaries, chief directors, directors and deputy directors in government."
"Out of these in public service we have 54% women in government but of the total we realised that the ambassadors are still sitting at 27%, permanent secretaries 28%, chief directors 27%, directors 30% and 32% respectively."
Choruma added, employment in the private sector was where more still need to do because only 35% are female in senior positions.
"On gender policy as much as we are still working on the legislative part as the Public Service Commission, we have already started implementing elements of this policy not only in recruitment, but also in practice."
"One of the things that we have done as Public Service Commission is to restructure the Public Service Commission and create a unit, which focuses on gender and diversity.
She said that it will be mandatory for every ministry to have a position on gender because they realised that this is a stand-alone discipline.
"Every ministry should have a gender focal person and these focal people are human resources people and already we now have Gender Desk in the President's Office," said Choruma.