A justice Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) noted that most women have limited access to land in Zimbabwe although the country’s constitution recognises property and land rights.
The justice organisation was giving a press statement on the 2019 International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on the 8th of March every year.
“Most women in own land through their spouses and as such their access to land is tied up to the spouse,” ZELA says.
“This in all manner and circumstances is not in tandem with the founding objective and values of the supreme law of the land.”
The NGO says it motivates the government of Zimbabwe to adopt strategies and policies that increase women’s access to land.
“The most insidiously pervasive women’s rights deprivations and disparities result from increasingly regressive taxation, a mining tax regime that does not ensure mining companies pay a fair share of taxes,” Zela says.
“This women’s day we join the Global Days of Action on #TaxJustice for Women’s Rights as we continue calling for progressive reforms in the Zimbabwe’s mining tax regime and for government to make good on its statement in the Monetary Policy that Zimbabwe will join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).”
Opportunities for women in Zimbabwe are challenged due to various factors including culture as chiefs have been reportedly blocking women from joining the mining sector.
“The most insidiously pervasive women’s rights deprivations and disparities result from increasingly regressive taxation, a mining tax regime that does not ensure mining companies pay a fair share of taxes,” ZELA says.
“This women’s day we join the Global Days of Action on #TaxJustice for Women’s Rights as we continue calling for progressive reforms in the Zimbabwe’s mining tax regime and for government to make good on its statement in the Monetary Policy that Zimbabwe will join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).”
