Source: The Herald
Zimbabwe joins Sadc countries in hosting the inaugural country level local government summits on gender and justice. In Zimbabwe, the summit gets underway in Kadoma as a precursor to the third regional summit to be held in South Africa next month.

The summit premiers efforts being done in Zimbabwe to end gender violence and empower women.
In a statement, organisers said the summit is a practical illustration of the Southern African Protocol on Gender and Development at work in the lives of ordinary women and men in the region.
"We have gone to great lengths this year to broaden participation and ownership by starting with country summits in some countries, leading up to the regional summit," noted Gender Links chief executive officer Ms Colleen Lowe Morna.
Other countries holding similar summits are Mauritius, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Madagascar.
The country summits and the regional summit will tackle issues on gender violence and proffer solutions on how local authorities can work to prevent its occurrence.
Councillors and local authorities are being asked to do community projects that employ strategic and innovative communication campaigns and initiatives to deal with gender violence.
Awards will be given to councils that have the best mechanisms.
Other topics covered are gender violence support, gender and governance, local economic development, climate change and sustainable development, youth leadership among several others.
The regional summit will discuss local government elections in the sub region held last year and those due this year.
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo is expected to officially open the summit today.

• Zimbabwe