SAPES Policy Dialogue Forum: Politics of sexual economics: situating the “small house” in Zimbabwe

Date: Thursday 14 February 2013
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Venue: SAPES, 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

Presenter: Mildred Mushinga, Doctoral Candidate, University of Pretoria

A ‘small-house’ is a colloquial and derogatory term used in Zimbabwe to describe a woman in a quasi polygamous, long term, informal and usually secretive sexual relationship with a married man. These kinds of relationships have been widely conceptualized within dominant public health and development discourses as part of the broader multiple concurrent sexual partnerships and sexual networks discourses. Such viewpoints have framed these relationships as key drivers of HIV and the women involved as poor, disempowered, lacking sexual agency and engaging in survival transactional sex. These perspectives have focused mainly on the detriments of a permissive, problematic and medicalised sexuality, which however neatly fits into the public health and development panaceas to poverty and HIV. Yet, the evolving ‘small-house’ phenomenon in Zimbabwe entails women from varying economic, social and political backgrounds and hence does not neatly fit into the aforesaid perceptions.

Framing women’s sexual behaviours within contexts where sexuality is seen either as a variant of health or poverty significantly undermines an in-depth and broad understanding of the nuances, complexities and mingling of women’s sexual behaviours, economics, society and politics. In as much as it is a global reality that economic inequalities exist between genders, focusing on one narrow angle of sex research embedded in health and poverty does injustice to the diversity and complexity of sex research. As such, pinning women’s motivations for engaging in ‘small-houses’ to lack of empowerment, sexual agency and poverty has excluded other groups of women -the educated, economically stable, high socio-economic status, seemingly ‘low-risk’ (in terms of HIV) women who knowingly and ‘willingly’ engage in these highly stigmatized sexual relationships. Focusing on these high socio-economic status and educated women can be a useful way to understand women’s sexual behaviours and motivations as they are intertwined with broader changing social, economic, political and cultural milieus in the Zimbabwean context.

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Please note that the job vacancies we carry are related to the NGO and civil society sectors only.

Director of Clinical Services: Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ)
Deadline: 31 January 2013

Be at the heart of an organization that’s at the heart of the community!

Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ), an affiliate of Marie Stopes International, is a market focused, result oriented nongovernmental organization. We develop efficient, effective and sustainable family planning and reproductive health programmes, with particular emphasis on the lower income and disadvantaged communities in Zimbabwe. What we do makes a real difference to people’s lives, so it’s absolutely crucial that we fill our organization with passionate people.

An opportunity has arisen in the following area:

Role: 1 x Director of Clinical Services
Duration: 12 months Fixed Term Contract

General Purpose
Reporting to the Country Director, the Director of Clinical Services is responsible for ensuring efficient and effective development, management and steady growth of high-quality, cost-effective family planning and reproductive health services through static and mobile outreach service facilities, ensuring PSZ services adhere to Ministry of Health guidelines, as well as to MSI Partnership standards. S/he provides professional, high-quality and effective clinical and management leadership and guidance to the team; and ensures that staffs understand and follow current MSI protocols. The post involves frequent travel.

Key Result Areas
-Quality Assurance: Client’s needs are met promptly and efficiently with the provision of high quality, professional services at all times. Develop, improve and monitor service delivery standards and client satisfaction
-Training and capacity development of medical teams: Assesses the training needs of the staff and ensure timely training is provided to staff for delivering quality services. Ensure that skill requirements are identified and that Medical Team members receive appropriate training to support them in performing well in their roles
-Internal Controls and Monitoring: Ensure robust information and control systems are in place and used to provide feedback and stimulate action
-Develop mechanisms for clinical controls and MIS systems for clinical services are in place and being implemented effectively
-Partnerships: Liaise with MoH/ZNFPC officials. Ensuring strong, professional relationships between PSZ and MoH/ZNFPC are maintained
-Programme implementation: Oversee the development and implementation of annual operational plans and working budgets, in conjunction with the medical team.

Qualifications
-MBChB Registration with the MDPCZ (Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe)
-Medical Doctor as a recognized clinical qualification
-Management / business qualification
-Have technical / clinical competence for SRH & FP services
-3-5 years of management experience in similar or allied roles in previous organization.

Submit CV plus covering letter clearly marked “DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES” to: Team Development Manager to: No. 9 Bisley Circle, Belvedere, Harare

Or email to: recruitment [at] pszim [dot] com

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Social Worker/Counsellor: Local NGO
Deadline: 31 January 2013

Location: Tongogara Refugee Camp, Chipinge, Zimbabwe
Reporting to: Project Director – Tongogara

Key Responsibilities
-Provide direct counselling services & therapeutic support to the secondary school children and more so to the vulnerable children such as unaccompanied minors (UAMs), orphans and children staying with single or elderly people
-Work closely with the school administration and teachers to identify children that need counselling and to follow up on progress of the children
-Work jointly with other stakeholders in the field of children’s services including making referrals and networking
-Compile monthly reports of all the cases handled
-Maintain accurate case records of all correspondence and activities on individual children’s records
-Raise awareness at the camp and in the school of children’s rights and issues of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)
-Work as part of the JRS team towards achieving our mission and vision.

Qualifications & Experience
-A degree/diploma in social work, counselling, social sciences or community development
-Registered with the Council of Social Workers as a Social Worker, prerequisite but not a must
-Previous experience of counselling and working with children
-Good networking skills
-Good organizational skills and the ability to work independently
-Working knowledge of Microsoft Office
-Fluency in written and spoken English
-Ability and willingness to work in difficult and isolated conditions
-Enjoyment in working with refugees/displaced and vulnerable people.

Emails to be addressed to Tendai Makoni on: tindo32 [at] gmail [dot] com

Four (4) District Behaviour Change Support Officers: Zimbabwe Aids Prevention And Support Organisation
Deadline: 1 February 2013

Locations: Mt Darwin , Mbire, Guruve and Bindura  

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill the 4 posts of District Behaviour Change Support Officers, which have arisen in the organisation. The District Behavior Change Support Officer will report to the District Behaviour Change Programme Officer.

The Support officer will
-Provide necessary assistance to the Programme Officer in dissemination of the national BC strategy in the District through dissemination meetings involving all relevant stakeholders and leaders
-Advocate with traditional, religious, administrative and other leaders in the district on issues of behaviour change promotion
-Provide technical and administrative support to the setting up of a district behavioral change forum
-Co-facilitate, in close collaboration with the District BC officer the development of a district behavioral change action plan in all wards
-Participate in monthly advocacy and support visits to all wards in the districts
-Oversee and support the volunteers’ behaviour change promotion activities
-Co-facilitate in the district level trainings of traditional and religious leaders as well as different types of volunteers
-Co-ordinate the District Officer’s meetings and workshops
-Make payments for specific programme costs under the guidance of the Finance Officer
-Assist the BC Programme officer to maintain financial and programme records as per NAC-UNFPA financial, accounting and programme rules, regulations and policies and ensure compliance
-Assist in the compilation of district quarterly narrative and financial progress reports

We are looking for candidates who have
-Good communication skills and ability to work in a team
-Initiative and is result oriented
-Attention to detail
-Ability to work under pressure
-Good computer skills
-Ability to work with all groups in the community
-Tact, advocacy, diplomacy, and consensus building skills

Requirements
-Diploma in an area related to Programme Management, Social Sciences, Social Work, Public Health, Counseling or equivalent.  Degree is an added advantage
-Minimum 3 years experience at professional level
-Sound knowledge and understanding of HIV prevention programming
-Experience in HIV and AIDS Programmes, Public Health or Health Promotion an asset
-Experience in Training, counseling or project management an asset
-Experience and ability to interact with district leadership
-Hands on experience working with district and ward structures and added advantage.

Applications with detailed curriculum vitae and certified copies of qualifications should be forwarded to: The Director Zimbabwe Aids Prevention and Support Organisation, 4 Aberdeen Road, Avondale, Harare.

Or

P O Box CY1417
Causeway
Harare

“Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive”

This directive has infuriated a lot people especially those in the sporting fraternity particularly those who have ambitions to coach or sit on selection panels of national sports. This directive came from the Sports and Recreation Commission and has sucked in the Minister of Sports of Sports and Culture, Senator David Coltart.

The reason why the directive has been seen to be racist in nature is the fact that there are some sporting activities which here in Zimbabwe have been regarded to be for the minority and for the elite. This was due to the fact that it was very rare (and it is still) to see at swimming pool at a government school in Chitungwiza. I remember when I was in primary in my hometown Chitungwiza, there was only one school with a cricket pitch. Every Friday all primary schools in Chitungwiza would gather at St Aidan for a cricket knock out tournament.

Given such a scenario of scarce resources how would do you then expect to groom players who can play these kinds of sports at international level so that one day they can sit on the national selector’s panel? Should we keep on blaming the whites for making the sports elite especially after almost 33 years of independence?

The alleged row at Zimbabwe Cricket seems to have been sparked by the Minister’s directive and some black players who have been sitting on the Cricket Zimbabwe’s national selection panel feel the directive is targeted at them. By throwing in racist allegations these selectors are trying to play to the gallery so that they receive some political sympathy while covering up for the poor results. Regardless of color nobody wants to support losers and that’s the reason why the nation has supported Kirsty Coventry and the Black family without mentioning racism.

My suggestion to the SRC directive is for the government to invest in sports so that no sporting activity will be regarded to be for the minority or elite. Sports have become a source of livelihood and many dreams and aspirations have been to put halt because of lack of resources.

Gender activist Betty Makoni describes how women face war in their homes and how she feels about leaving Zimbabwe because of persecution from the State:

The last thing any human rights defender wants to do is to leave her home, work and settle in a foreign country. This was my last option during my time of despair and persecution in 2008; only the man I shared my home with knew as I grabbed my handbag and sped out of the door to run for safety.

Continue reading here

Desmond Tutu has written a powerful op-ed in response to Uganda’s homophobia:

To those who claim that homosexuality is not part of our African culture, you are conveniently ignoring the fact that LGBTI Africans have lived peacefully and productively beside us throughout history.

More here

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is a global event dedicated to end gender-based violence. As part of the commemorations to mark this event in Zimbabwe on Friday 30 November 2012 Pamberi Trust together with Media Alliance held a media round table discussion at The Book Café. The theme of the discussion was “The Media Against Gender-Based Violence” and it took the form of an open discussion between members of the public, media practitioners and civil society representatives in trying to unpack the role of the media in covering gender based violence (GBV) in the country.

It was noted that media is doing very little in playing its role as a mirror of society when reporting on gender-based violence. In a presentation by Mrs. Veremu a Mass Communications lecturer at Polytechnic, it was noted that media plays a critical role in shaping the discourse on gender based violence through awareness raising, setting the agenda and helping to change attitudes. Mrs. Veremu highlighted that media should play a leading role in dispelling the stigma centered around gender-based violence so that it becomes an encompassing human rights issue, including both men and boys.

In a study carried out by Gender Links in 2010 it was found that regardless of the high prevalence of gender based violence in Zimbabwe only 3 percent of the stories in the media was on gender based violence. The same study found out that television coverage of gender violence was only 1 percent. Media was blamed for sensationalizing articles on gender-based violence only to push sales foregoing the seriousness the issue deserves.

Media should not relegate gender-based violence to the periphery of social discourse.

In helping set the agenda, media has a responsibly in influencing the discourse concerning gender based violence and media coverage should happen all year round, not just during the 16 Days Campaign.

Media houses and organizations that work on gender issues were urged not only to rely on old media but also to embrace new technology like social media so that they reach out to a wide audience.