Promoting the communication rights of women and girls in Zimbabwe

By Gertrude Pswarayi

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: The first time I encountered a computer was at University, way back in 2001. It was like learning to walk in old age, nerve-racking but awe-inspiring. Looking back, I realize that my life could somehow have taken a different dimension if I had been exposed to ICTs at an early age.

After university I joined a number of non-governmental organisations that work with women and girls at grassroots level. I had first-hand experience of how women and girls were lagging behind in terms of accessing information crucial to their development. Men would access the internet at their workplaces while women, who were predominantly housewives, had no exposure. Internet cafes were dominated by young men while girls seemed intimidated by the environment.

After observing and learning the challenges facing women and girls in Zimbabwe, an idea came up in my mind that I had to do something to help. The proliferation of computers was fast picking pace and there was a real risk that the gap between men and women would drastically widen. I started to visualize an organization that would avail ICTs to women.

Traditionally, various tribal groups in southern Africa created platforms for diverse sections of each community to have their own meetings and forums where ideas were shared. Because it was the role of women to fetch water for domestic consumption, the water point offered a strategic environment for women and girls to meet and share news, information and for grooming.  This is how the Creative Centre for Communication and Development (CCCD) was born. The organization mimics the age old practice that used to bring women and girls together.

CCCD operates a Community Technology Centre equipped with latest computers and the internet. Women and girls come to learn computers. But it is not just learning to type. ICT is a cross-cutting element in development work. We focus on a number of issues affecting women and girls such as Women’s Human Rights, Women’s health including HIV/AIDS, Education for Women and Women and Poverty. All these issues are tackled while women are at the ‘Water point’.

Under our Women’s Human Rights programme we are building the capacity of marginalised and vulnerable women and girls to use Information and Communication Technologies to advance their Right to Freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. Our strategy is to advance Communication Rights and use information and communication technologies to eliminate discriminatory social, cultural, traditional and religious practices and norms”

The media plays a critical role as the driver of the mentioned challenges. CCCD empowers women and girls with citizen journalism skills to challenge male dominance in the media so that issues reported are reported by women from their own views and perspectives. The focus of our work under this area is in line with the recommendations by the 7th African Regional Conference on Women held in Addis Ababa in 2004 which adopted the ‘Outcome and way forward’ document that encourages members states to support women’s access to information and communication technologies and project positive images of women and fight stereotyping.

Under the Health and HIV program CCCD uses the Communication Rights approach to provide life skills training for women and girls to build their self-esteem, assertiveness and negotiation skills to protect themselves from risky sexual behavior.

CCCD has trained scores of women and girls to become citizen journalists, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and information in order to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide ranging and relevant information that a democratic Zimbabwe requires. The overall objective of this activity is to amplify voices of marginalised women and girls, uplift their lives, enlighten and enliven their community in general, enable them to earn respect while participating in issues that affect their lives.

We also conduct Digital Storytelling workshops. Digital Storytelling is a powerful recording and documentation method which foregrounds women’s voices and experiences as primary in the process of storytelling. Beneficiaries of this activity share their experiences not just in Zimbabwe but across the globe.

But it has not been all smooth sailing. The economic, political and social environment in Zimbabwe is tough.  When we started the organization, we had no financial assistance. We were using our own limited resources to train women.  This was in 2007 when Zimbabwe’s economy was at its worst level. We then received a donation from the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) that enabled us to purchase a computer, printer and digital camera. We did not have enough resources to pay for office space so we had to set up our computer on a verandah where women would come on Monday up to Friday to attend the training sessions.

We later received further financial support from the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) and the Global Fund for Women and this helped us to expand and strengthen our activities. Currently we are implementing a project that focuses on:

(1)Training women and girls in citizen journalism and ICTs: This builds women and girls’ capacity to make themselves heard in the public sphere. Citizen journalism stories are focusing on women and girls’ aspirations, experiences, local news, and instances of positive change.

2. Capacity building for women and girls on a) women’s rights, b) children’s rights, c) sexual & reproductive rights, d) alternative income generation, e) access to services, and f) dealing with and reporting GBV: Women and girls are being encouraged to integrate this knowledge into their stories and to produce content drawing on a rights framework. The production of stories is itself a key learning mechanism. Citizen journalism collectives are pivotal in fostering the environment of mutual support needed to enable the women and girls to become change agents.

3. Mediated dialogues & public screening of stories produced by the women and girls: This will spark local debate about the practices that perpetuate violation of women's rights, and will encourage a more enabling environment. Target groups are parents, youth, men, girls, women, community and religious leaders, and policy-makers; these events are being designed to have a strong representation from all of these groups to encourage interaction between different demographics. Participants at these events will be encouraged to participate in awareness and/or advocacy campaigns at the local level.

4. Community-led awareness raising campaign calling for the advancement of women and girls' rights as spelt by the community: The community-led advocacy campaigns calling for increased services for women and girls. This will turn local debate into broader mobilisation and calling for policy change.

The project has been made possible with support from the Women’s World Day of Prayer, Germany Committee.

We have created a safe space for women and girls to tackle issues that affect them. We plan on expanding our activities so that we reach more women in different corners of the country.