International Women’s
Day
Today is international women’s
day. Yesterday I walked in the suburbs of Mbare, Budiriro and Sunningdale and
sought to speak with women to find out what International Women’s Day meant for
them. I could not find any woman who was willing to speak with me. They all said
they feared how I would use the information that I would get from them. They
feared to speak about what they felt about International Women’s Day neither
did they want to speak about whether or not they were aware of this day as
women. I wondered whether their refusal to speak to me was because I was a
stranger but then it just dawned on me that if women wouldn’t open up and speak
with me, a fellow sister on such simple things, how free are they really to
speak out about fundamental issues related to broader outlook of women’s rights
as a group let alone confront duty bearers. The theme #BeBoldForChange couldn’t
have come at a better time, especially in our Zimbabwean context.
The common thing about all these
women who I approached was that they were fetching water from boreholes. In a
resource rich country like Zimbabwe, where there are 40 known economically
exploitable minerals, women mustn’t be struggling to get access to realise
their constitutional rights related to social services like safe, clean and
portable water. More often than not, tax is an issue that is not easily linked
to the economic disempowerment and impoverishment especially of grassroots women.
Although there are many sources by which government can collect taxes and
convert them into public goods and services, the Zimbabwe Agenda For Sustainable Socio Economic Transformation, the economic blueprint of government recognises
the mining sector as a key revenue sector. The Africa Mining Vision recognises
that mineral resources can lead to sustainable broad based economic delivery
and provision of social services. In neighbouring Botswana, we have a testimony
of how diamond mining revenue has led to development and provision of high
quality services for citizens.
It is important to also examine
tax and mineral revenue transparency issues as women’s rights and gender
justice issues. Last year we heard how Zimbabwe “lost” $15 billion in mining
revenue. Zimbabwean mining companies were named in the Panama papers on illicit
financial flows and tax evasion through structures in tax havens and analysis were
made that this could be how $15 billion was “lost”. Every year, the Auditor
General has raised issues on embezzlement and abuse of public funds by
ministers yet these many perpetrators walk Scot free. At some point the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority had
to repay some royalties taxes it had collected from ZIMPLATS due to a
stabilisation clause in ZIMPLATS mining contract see here. Despite all the above, the mining sector still remains shrouded in secrecy and devoid of Parliamentary oversight
when decisions of who to extract, when, where and how much of what minerals
will be extracted are made. Yet these mining contracts determine the levels of
mineral tax revenue and ultimately the amount of resources that are available
for social service delivery. analyse the impact of harmful tax incentives like
stabilisation clauses and tax holidays on women especially in the mining and
energy sectors where huge capital funds are injected. Earlier on this year VAT was introduced on
basic good which women tend to purchase which could effectively mean that women
would end up paying more indirect taxes and carry a heavier tax burden.
What then must Zimbabwean women
#BeBoldForChange about? As Zimbabwean women we must #BeBoldForChange and fight for
mining contract transparency including energy contract transparency. We must demand inclusive participation of women in key decision making
structures along the mining value chain, not just an ‘insertion’ of women into
these structures but a consideration of women's needs and interests. We must #BeBoldForChange demand an end to tax havens and fight for stronger parliamentary oversight in Public
Finance Management. We must expect no less in political party manifestos as we
approach elections and when we vote we must consider all these issues above.
Given my experience yesterday, much still needs to be done to
build the necessary boldness in women for them to #BeBoldForChange. Last year I celebrated with women in the
diamond mining region who were bold enough to build their agency to demand
their rights, voice and power against pollution of Save and Odzi Rivers by
diamond miners. Together we did the #PledgeForParity in the diamond fields
through campaigning for gender equality and parity along the diamond value chain. This year we hold a symposium on Gender and Extractives aimed at interrogating women's movement and building power and voice to dismantle structural aspects along mining sector that inhit women's participation. In this we aim to continue building the confidence of all women and to enhance public finance literacy for women among other things.
To all Zimbabwean Women Happy International Women's Day Sisters! Kwatakabva Kure Kwatiri Kuenda Mutunhu (We have come from afar) The struggle continues. Aluta Continua!
