The Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), is a network of women rights activists and women’s organizations with national structures and is a forum where women meet to engage in activism on issues affecting women and girls in Zimbabwe. The primary aim of this coalition is to provide a focal point for activism as it aims to bring women from divense backgrounds together to raise their voices, with chapters in many regions of the country. Their goal is to achieve equality through creating a space for women and girls to collectively act which will lead to their empowerment and they envision a world where women and girls rights are respected.

The organizational members of the coalition work in various fields such as health, legal aid, access to education, gender based violence, torture, skills training, poverty reduction, research, property rights and governance issues, so together form a cohesive and diverse presence in women’s rights advocacy

 

Goal:
To achieve gender equity and equality through the creation of space for women and girls to collectively initiate and participate in strategies and actions that lead to their empowerment.

MISSION:
A coordinated network for the empowerment of women and girls through lobbying and advocacy, capacity building, information dissemination and resource mobilization.

VISION:
A society where women and girls’ rights are respected

The objectives of the Women’s Coalition are:

• To provide a focal point for joint activism at macro level on topical and crosscutting issues affecting women.
• To mobilize women to support identified issues and to ensure that the woman and girl child question remains central to the national agenda
• To coordinate the participation of women in the activities of the Coalition
• To bring women from diverse backgrounds to advocate for the attainment and enjoyment of their rights
• To bring women from all walks of life to speak with one voice
• To build the capacity of women’s rights activists to articulate the demands of women
• To facilitate the sharing of information amongst members and disseminate information on human rights to the communities
• To form strategic alliances locally, regionally and internationally for the furtherance of its objectives
• To carryout field and desk research on issues affecting women in order to develop and build on theories with a view to enhance the coalition’s efforts in promoting the rights of women
• To mobilize and manage resources on behalf of Coalition members
• To monitor and evaluate programmes that are funded through resources raised by coalition.
  
  

 

The Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) has three main focus areas:

I- POLICY & ADVOCACY:

• Collective Lobbying and Advocacy
• Constitution Making Process
  
  

II- PEACEBUILDING:

• to build capacities and mobilize women in Zimbabwe to carry out local advocacy and lobbying for peace in their communities and its purpose is
• to influence the development of  peace building policies and programmes in addressing women’s needs.
• To reduce the prevalence of violence, increasing women’s participation in decision making with the ultimate goal of alleviating poverty.
  

III - PUBLICATION:

Media Campaign on the Constitution Making Process – WCoZ is conducting an extensive media campaign in both the print and broadcast media on women and constitution making. WCoZ developed statements and adverts which were placed in the media for wider outreach. To read some of the WCoZ publications please visit: http://www.wcoz.org/focus-areas-/publications.html

 

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Peacebuilding Projects: WCoZ is networking with like minded organizations under the banner of the Peacebuilding Network of Zimbabwe, NANGO,  IDAZIM, GenderLinks  and other academic institutions and NGOs in an effort to  develop alternatives to the current political environment , through engagement and influencing policies  and laws that protect the vulnerable groups including women.Furthermore, WCoZ  uses the UNSCR1325 in its lobbying and advocacy activities,  to ensure that women  and girls are protected from all forms of violence, including politically motivated violence, through engaging specific government ministries such as the Ministry of Women Affairs,Gender and Community Development and the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration(ONHRI)

The Stand up and Draft your Constitution Campaign:  was a media blitz which included the television talk show – Mai Chisamba; a platform which airs in vernacular. The talk show was to raise awareness on women and the constitution. Five radio programmed on the women’s minimum demands in the constitution making process were aired to educate society of the need for women’s contribution to the constitutional debate. The campaign has popularized and marketed issues of women and constitution making process. These have included the need for women to participate effectively in the process and the women’s minimum demands. The successes of the campaign have been evidenced by the increased knowledge on the constitution review process by women throughout the country especially by women throughout the country including the rural areas. The information and publicity initiatives have increased visibility of the women’s movement and the women’s role in the development discourse.

Text Messages Campaign: They are currently working on a text message campaign where women send three text messages daily to the co-chairs of COPAC about the rejection of the women’s petition as ZANU PF ploy to delay the process and need to include women in outreach and thematic teams at 50% and the failure by COPAC to do this. An example text is:                   

“Good morning chairperson of COPAC: The women’s agenda to participate equally in the constitution making process is not a ZANU PF agenda. Please rectify the situation otherwise you go down in history as the leaders who excluded women from the national processes.” This creative campaign is sure to get women’s voices heard!

The role of the Young Women’s Forum: The WCoZ Young Women’s Forum, is a space where young women between the ages of 18-30 who are in the Young Womens Movement can come together, debate and deliberate on key issues facing young women in Zimbabwe.The major role of the young women’s forum is to create a platform where young women deliberate, network build capacity in five areas namely:

1. Economic empowerment
2. Sexual Reproduction Health Rights
3. Access to Education
4. Harmful Cultural Practices
5. Peace and Security

 

 

 

CONTACT:
Website: www.wcoz.org
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address: 9 Edmonds Avenue, Belvedere
Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone: +263 4 775765; 2965418

 

 

 

• Zimbabwe