The Girls Table empowers women through advocacy
By Thembelihle Mhlanga
In a significant step towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, The Girls Table, a local non-profit organization, recently held an advocacy training workshop for women and girls in Lupane, Zimbabwe. The event aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively advocate for their rights and interests within their communities.
The workshop was attended by a diverse group of women and girls from Lupane who were eager to learn strategies for advocating for issues that matter to them. Sandra Gama, the Programmes Officer for The Girls Table, emphasized the importance of the training, stating, “Women need to be empowered to take on leadership roles and make their voices heard. This workshop is a crucial step in that direction.”
Gama went on to explain the objectives of the training, saying, “We want to capacitate the participants on various advocacy techniques and help them identify the key issues they can advocate for in their communities.”
Effie Dlela Ncube, the facilitator of the workshop, delved deep into the participants’ understanding of advocacy. “We focused extensively on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and how it relates to the local legal frameworks, including the Zimbabwean constitution,” Ncube said. “It’s important for the women to be well-versed in their rights and the mechanisms they can use to hold duty-bearers accountable.”
One of the participants, Angeline Dube, expressed her newfound appreciation for the power of advocacy. “This workshop has truly enlightened us on how to engage with service providers and demand the quality of services we deserve,” she said. “We now have a better understanding of the avenues we can explore to make our voices heard and bring about positive change in our communities.”
Patience Ngwenya, a youth activist who attended the training, echoed Dube’s sentiments. “The workshop came at the right time to empower young women like myself to be part of the decision-making process,” Ngwenya said. “We have learned valuable skills on how to effectively advocate for our needs and concerns, and I’m excited to put them into practice.”
The enthusiasm and determination of the participants were palpable throughout the workshop. The organizers of The Girls Table were pleased to witness the participants’ engagement and their eagerness to implement the strategies they had learned.
“Seeing the participants leave the workshop with a renewed sense of confidence and a clear action plan is truly rewarding,” said Gama. “We hope that this training will inspire them to become agents of change in their communities and inspire other women to follow suit.”
The advocacy training workshop in Lupane is a testament to the ongoing efforts of The Girls Table and other organizations to empower women and girls in Zimbabwe. By equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge, these initiatives aim to foster a more inclusive and equitable society, where women’s voices are heard, and their leadership is celebrated.
As the participants return to their communities, they carry with them the lessons learned and the determination to make a difference. The ripple effects of this workshop are expected to be far-reaching, as the women and girls of Lupane take the lead in advocating for the changes they wish to see in their own lives and the lives of their fellow community members.
