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About Zimbabwe Rural Women Assembly
Who We Are
Rural Women Assembly (RWA) Zimbabwe is a Movement of rural women of Zimbabwe. These women are mobilised by three Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) namely Women and Land in Zimbabwe [with the bulk of the Members], Zimbabwe Farmers Union and Centre for the Development of Women and Children. Membership is open to individuals who want to defend the commons [land water, environment and seeds] and want to make progressive changes in women’s land rights, access and control of forests and climate change resilience. RWA Zimbabwe was founded in response to the struggles of rural women farmers for access, control and ownership of agricultural land and forest as well as addressing the multiple vulnerabilities of rural women farmers to the impact of climate change. The main aim of the Movement is to secure women’s land rights, fight for seeds rights, food choice and climate justice. Following the country’s Fast Track Land Resettlement Program, the state took over land which was predominantly owned by white farmers and re-allocated it to locals, This was an opportunity for women to access land but control and ownership remains in the hands of the men and all land belonging to the state. Women got less than 20% regardless of the fact that they are the tillers of the land. On the other hand communal land is governed by customary law tenure, which is deemed to be fragile and weak rendering it easy for the land squeeze by the multinational companies. Quite crucially, its biggest challenge is that it does not recognise the rights of women to land and is ultra vires the Constitution and the Communal Land Act. Furthermore the rural women are the one most impacted by climate change which has emerged as a global crisis needing home based solutions and support. These are the issues, among others, that gave rise to Rural Women’s Assembly Zimbabwe.
As such Movement is brought together by common struggles surrounding the defence of the Commons (land, water, forests) building resilience to the climate crisis and women’s rights thereto.
Our Approach
RWA Zimbabwe is building strong networks and structures to advocate for women’s land, environmental and water rights as well as their participation in the governance of the same. RWA Zimbabwe uses a Rights Based Approach to address security of tenure challenges and to influence policy formulation and implementation. Policy influence and implementation is key to the work of RWA and the Movement constantly engages duty bearers, key stakeholders and partners to find ways of influencing and improving policies and policy implementation thereby making policy provisions a lived reality for rural communities.
Our Strategic Focus
RWA-Zimbabwe has identified three Strategic Focus Areas that it believes will enhance security of tenure, strengthen community participation in Natural Resources Governance and address the vulnerabilities of women to the impact of climate change.
Our Work
RWA Zimbabwe was launched in 2013 by the then Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development.
-In 2019 Zimbabwe embarked on a Gender Sensitive Land Policy Review Process in which the Rural Women’s Assembly took an active role to get the voices of rural women farmers heard.
-RWA Zimbabwe is pushing for recognition and implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture ( ITPGRFA).
-We are also pushing for climate justice with proper support for loss and damage and home based solutions
– upscaling multiplication, saving and growing of traditional seeds- this has proved working for the rural women
The desired impact is that the country comes up with a harmonised Land Policy which addresses women’s land rights and entitlements in line with Constitutional provisions and implements the same without fear or favour.
RWA will continue to have a presence in this space, monitoring progress which is long overdue and to ensure that Policy Implementation is fully rolled out.
Our Governance Structure
RWA is managed by a Secretariat which reports to the Reference Group Committee which in turn reports to the Annual General Meeting. Members are at the apex as they make up the Annual General Meeting at which key strategic decisions are made. RWA Zimbabwe is an affiliate of Rural Women’s Assembly Southern Africa which boasts ten member countries- Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland with Zimbabwe accounting for more than half of the total membership of all the countries put together.
