Econet responds to Cyclone Idai emergency with $5 million

HigherLife Foundation hands over maternal health medical equipment

Through a generous investment from ELMA Philanthropies, Higherlife Foundation on 10 December 2020 commenced the handover of maternal health medical equipment to seven hospitals in Zimbabwe. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision of essential maternal and neonatal health services and severely eroded the steady gains that Zimbabwe had made in improving mortality rates. Over…

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COVID-19 exacerbated human rights abuses and negatively impacted healthcare delivery: ZADHR

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) has said COVID-19 fuelled the abuse of human rights and negatively affected health service delivery in the country. The statement comes as the organisation joins the rest of the world today 10 December 2020 in commemorating International Human Rights Day (IHRD) under the theme “Recover Better…

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Include PWDs’ Contributions to National Development: CSOs

By Joyce Mukucha and Anyway Yotamu The United Nations in conjunction with The Space and Signs of Hope Trust are joining hands in spearheading the #I’m Able Initiative campaign that seeks to raise awareness throughout society regarding Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The initiative’s main thrust is targeted at combating prejudices, harmful practices, and negative perceptions…

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NPRC Working Towards Building a Peaceful Nation

By Joyce Mukucha The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), an independent commission that promotes national peace, healing, reconciliation, and social cohesion is preparing to conduct public and private hearings with Provincial Peace Committee as it seeks to build a peaceful Zimbabwe for all generations. The hearings will be carried out in all ten provinces…

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Digital literacy, security important for sustainability of feminist movements: FRIDA

By Joyce Mukucha As the rest of the world is joining hands in solidarity to end gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls during the 16 Days of Activism, the Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA) believes that the safety of communities must be a priority as it arrives at co-creation of digital feminist features. FRIDA is…

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Crisis Coalition launches documentary on Covid-19 and rights violations in SADC

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition today, December 8, 2020 launched a documentary titled “Covid-19 and Human Rights in Southern Africa”. The documentary, which is the coalition’s second following the launch of another one titled “Terror Under the Cloak of Covid-19” on October 6, 2020 exposes rights violations during this Covid-19 era in the Southern African Development Community…

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IOM distributes Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Kits to shelters for returnees

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has distributed menstrual hygiene management kits to shelters for returnees and victims of trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV). The IOM Zimbabwe in partnership with Musasa and Childline and in collaboration with the Anti-Trafficking Interministerial Committee (ATIMC), is implementing the Combatting Trafficking in Zimbabwe project. Funded by the US Department…

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Poor service delivery fueling GBV: Mutare Deputy Mayor

By Bernard Chiketo Mutare deputy mayor Kudakwashe Chisango has publicly admitted that poor service delivery and sex pests within council employment were exposing women to gender-based violence (GBV). The MDC Alliance councilor told a Transparency International Zimbabwe hosted conversation café on sextortion – a form of corruption and sexual abuse, at a city hotel as…

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Investigative journalism saddled with challenges

The media and operating environment in Zimbabwe is saddled with a plethora of challenges, particularly when it comes to investigative journalism. This emerged at a Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) investigative journalism workshop organised with a view of gathering the media’s input towards the development of lasting solutions to the fight against corruption through exposing the…

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Adopt robust measures to curb online gender-based abuse, Parliament urged

By Sowell Chikwari (Staff Writer) Parliament must adopt robust measures to combat online gender-based harassment and abuse. This was revealed by civil society organizations (CSOs) and stakeholders who attended the Girls Engage Program organised by Plan International Zimbabwe that was held last Friday in the capital, Harare to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against…

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Chipo Pasi Adds Voice Against Gender-Based Violence

By Ronnie Chisamba Upcoming Afro-fusion-contemporary musician Chipo Prudence Manyika Pasi (31) recently added weight to the fight against gender-based violence  (GBV) with the release of her debut track titled Munamato Wangu. The official launch of the song coincided with the 16 days campaign against GBV. Complimented with a video, the track has a touch of…

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Youths proffer SDGs-aligned ICT solutions to solve post-COVID-19 socio-economic challenges

The 2020 Hackathon saw teams competing in proffering the most relevant ICT solutions to solve post-COVID-19 socio-economic challenges that may hinder the country’s efforts towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The hackathon ran under the theme “#Hacking for SDGs post-COVID-19 and beyond” and was held in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city of Bulawayo last…

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Innovation an indispensable aspect of national development

Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has said innovation plays a critical role in national development. He made the remarks in his keynote address during the official opening of the 2020 Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) Hackathon held at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel today. “Given the…

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GBV goes beyond physical violence – NGO

By Bernard Chiketo MUTARE – A leading peace-building organisation has said non-physical forms of violence remain on the blind side of current efforts to end gender-based violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe. Speaking after a 16-kilometre walk organised by Mutare City Council in partnership with Peace-building and Capacity Development Foundation (Pacdef) to symbolise 16-days of activism, Pacdef…

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Philippines to bolster women entrepreneurs with launch of National SheTrades Hub

Women-owned businesses in the Philippines can look forward to connecting to international markets thanks to the new SheTrades PH Hub launched at the annual Philippines National Export Congress on 3 December 2020. The SheTrades Philippines Hub, was launched by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The hub is part of…

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Sightsavers Equal World Campaign advances disability inclusion programming

As the nation and the world at large are commemorating International Day for Persons with Disability, Spiked Online Media had a privilege of interviewing Peter Bare who is the Senior Programme Manager for Sightsavers Zimbabwe. Sightsavers globally and in Zimbabwe for a couple of months has been running what they call Equal World Campaign under…

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IOM and PRM provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services for returning migrants

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented economic and social disruption world over.  Zimbabwe has 10 129 confirmed cases and 277 deaths as a result of COVID-19. Over 34 693 migrants have returned to the country since the onset of the pandemic. In response, IOM and partners have assisted government through multi-sectoral initiatives with a focus on strengthening core…

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UN disability committee achieves historic gender parity milestone

Five women have been elected to the UN committee that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, meaning gender parity has been achieved for the first time – a result that answers the call of Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign for the committee to better represent the people it exists to serve. The…

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Zimbabweans facing high levels of food insecurity: IPC

The Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) has reported that an increase in food insecurity in Zimbabwe is being driven by poor harvests, reduced income and high food prices but is partially mitigated by increased humanitarian food assistance. Below, Spiked Online Media reproduces snippets from the report: Current Situation Overview (Oct-Dec 2020) Currently, 2.61 million people…

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Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies host vision 2050 webinar series

Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies this week host a 5-part virtual webinar series under the theme Catalysing Vision 2050. From 1 to 3 December 2020, the organisations bring together a cosmopolitan array of speakers for conversations on Education, Health, Rural Transformation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Disaster Relief and Preparedness and Entrepreneurship and Accessing Finance. Higherlife Foundation…

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Maisha Health in diabetes awareness campaign

Maisha Health is offering free blood glucose measurements at selected sites across the country as part of World Diabetes Month commemorations. The Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe health tech unit said the awareness campaign was aimed at detecting early signs of diabetes. The chronic disease, which affects about 1,4 million people in the country, is a major…

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Women participated in liberation war to bring gender equality: Minister Mutsvangwa

The gender equality women enjoy in Zimbabwe today is well-earned from the shared sacrifices that women made side by side with their men during the liberation struggle, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa said on Friday. She was officially opening the annual conference in Nyanga of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and…

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UNICEF rolls out emergency cash transfer programme to vulnerable populations in Zimbabwe

UNICEF Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and GOAL Zimbabwe is rolling out the Emergency Social Cash Transfer Program (ESCT) to reduce food insecurity, improve dietary diversity, and maternal and child health outcomes of vulnerable households, whose situation has further deteriorated as a result of COVID-19. The programme…

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Childline Launches Child Online Protection Guidelines

The launch of Child Online Protection Guidelines by Childline will go a long way in raising awareness on child online safety. This was revealed by the Childline Director Ms. Stella Motsi in a speech read on her behalf by Macbeth Makoni, the organisation’s Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager. “Today brings finality to a process…

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An Educated Girl Is A Protected Girl, End Gender-Based Violence: ECIS

Every Child In School (ECIS), a movement that contributed immensely to the enactment of the new education amendment act, on 25 November 2020 commemorated the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence with emphasis on the power of education in ending this scourge against children especially girls and young women. “We celebrate the government of…

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Improve access to education, health, and social protection for children with disabilities

Stakeholders have been urged to work towards improving the access to education, health, and social protection for children with severe disabilities. Dr. John Mangwiro, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care made the call in Harare yesterday while addressing a stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association (ZPHCA). “As…

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United States provides additional US$3 million for humanitarian demining in Zimbabwe

The United States government has announced an additional USD $3 million for humanitarian demining projects in Zimbabwe. Since 1998, the United States has invested more than $23.9 million in Zimbabwe to protect people from landmines and promote economic opportunities through safe access to land. The United States supports the Government of Zimbabwe’s goal to safely…

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Mufakose Extension Cooperatives in Loggerheads Over Land Partitioning

By Desire Tshuma Two housing cooperatives located at Mufakose Extension are in serious fights over boundary demarcation forcing the other to take the issue to the courts. The housing cooperatives are located between Mufakose Extension and Budiriro 5. The land was given to four housing cooperatives in 2012. The beneficiaries of the housing scheme include…

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COVID-19 spurs digital revolution in Zimbabwe’s newsrooms

by LUNGELO NDHLOVU In the face of COVID-19 containment measures that have made it increasingly difficult to distribute print newspapers, many media companies in Zimbabwe have begun to introduce their products in digital formats. In doing so, outlets have proven able to more cheaply reach audiences outside their typical distribution areas. This has been critical, especially in light…

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The rise of rural women’s movements in Southern Africa

By Mercia Andrews Rural African women are often made invisible, hidden and marginalised in leadership structures. By organising themselves in social movements, women in Southern Africa have amplified their voices to challenge agri-business and patriarchal oppression while advancing agroecology and building new leadership for a feminist agroecology. In Africa, rural women have to struggle against…

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Turning the tide: The fight to reclaim gains and accelerate progress for women and children

By INGER ASHING; NORBERT BARTHLE; STEPHAN SCHØNEMANN; LEONIE CLAUDINE LOUGUÉ SORGHO; JOSHUA TABAH 2020 was set to be a year of milestones for gender equality and health: Half a decade into the Sustainable Development Goals, 10 years since the establishment of UN Women, 20 years since the UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and…

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The crisis — and opportunity — female entrepreneurs face right now

Caroline Fairchild (Host, LinkedIn News Live & Editor At Large, LinkedIn News302 articles) By March, Sneh Kadakia knew she had a big problem. She had been planning to launch her startup — a platform that connected professionals with work spaces in boutique hotels — the following month. Conversations with her husband — a doctor who was working…

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Ecobank Group shows its commitment towards Better Health

The leading pan-African banking group, the Ecobank Group (Ecobank.com), yesterday celebrated its eighth annual Ecobank Day, which is the Group’s flagship annual event, showing commitment and giving back to its local communities across 33 African countries. This year’s theme is ‘Take Action Against Diabetes’ and it marks the second stage of a three-year campaign to…

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