Gender Assignment One

After going through the given passage this assignment will attempt to answer the asked questions

as follows:-

What gender issues are evident in this passage?

Gender issues that can be identified in the passage are cost of sanitary towels, inflation, poverty

and equal representation of men and women in parliament. These are explained in detail below

as follows;

Cost of sanitary towels

The cost of sanitary wear affects both men and women. When the cost of an item goes up

without an adjustment to income, it means families’ life styles are affected as they will not

manage to meet other basic needs.

Inflation

Inflation has a negative impact on economic growth of a country as much money would be

chasing too few goods affecting the livelihoods of both men and women. The introduction in the

passage indicates that there is an economic crisis (inflation) in the country. This is proved by the

evidence from the passage which reads “ as Zimbabwe slips deeper into economic crisis…”

Poverty

When inflation grips a nation, it is undoubted that the masses are drowned dipper into poverty.

As poverty grips, women end up using rags, newspapers or cow dung exposing both women and

men to urinary tract infections.

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Equal representation of men and women in parliament

Equal representation of men and women in parliament is a critical issue in formulation and

implementation of gender policies. Under representation of either sex in parliament has adverse

effects as policies passed will lack a gender eye.

Why is the climbing cost of sanitary wear not viewed as an issue by economists and

parliamentarians?

Market Forces

The play of market forces such as supply and demand determine the price of a product.

Parliamentarians and economists are reluctant to reduce the price of sanitary pads due to the fear

that the manufactures will stop producing them as raw materials are imported.

Capitalism

The parliamentarians and the economists are awake to the situation that women in parliament

and those at the helm of industry belong to an elitist group as opposed to the rest of women who

are the poor masses. The elites believe that whatever they possess was gotten through hard work

hence their blindness to prices of sanitary towels affecting women.

Patriarchy

Gender oppression is reproduced culturally and maintained through institutionalized inequality.

The parliament which is male dominated is cultured into an oppressive structure which

marginalizes the female. Domestic slavery of women acts as a means of upholding the structural

inequities faced by women in all capitalist economies. This is evidenced by the heckling of the

male MP by other members.

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Lack of gender sensitivity

There is a general belief on the generality of men in parliament that sanitary towels are not a

basic need as women used to manage mensuration issues time immemorial without sanitary pads.

This is supported by the heckling of the male MP in parliament.

Explain how the rising costs of sanitary wear affect both males and females

Infections

When women fail to acquire sanitary towels they are forced to use unapproved or improvised

methods resulting in them having urinary tracts infections. The husbands are also affected by the

infections from their wives.

Psychological Problems

When families fail to provide sanitary wear for their loved ones due to exorbitant prices,

everyone is affected psychologically. More often, in trying to provide sanitary pads for the

family, poor people are subjected to rudeness, humiliation, and inhumane treatment from those

who are rich.

School drop outs

Lack of access to menstrual products and widespread stigma surrounding mensuration keep

millions of girls from going to school. People without education are unable to get jobs and are

more likely to spend their lives jobless causing over dependency on their families.

Loss of employment

Economic market growth is a prerequisite for elimination of poverty. When many people will

fail to purchase sanitary wear, companies close pushing people out of employment.

What practical steps would you take to make economists and parliamentarians realize that the

cost of sanitary pads is a national issue and that they are a basic need?

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Advocacy

Advocacy groups are instrumental in achieving several lasting changes in gender equality

nationally and internationally. Organizations such as Zimbabwe Women‘s Lawyers Association,

Women of Zimbabwe Arise, WOZA and Msasa Project may be used for advocating for women

rights.

Lobbying for equal representation of men and women in decision making

Policies that lobby for equal participation of women in decision making positions should be

formulated and implemented. Involvement of women enables women to identify problems and

solutions for issues that affect them.

Discouraging the use of price controls

Government should be discouraged from use of price controls as this forces manufacturers and

sellers of sanitary pads to stop producing and selling them.

Gender mainstreaming

Gender mainstreaming ensures that policymaking and legislative work has a greater relevance

for society, as it makes policies respond more effectively to the needs of all citizens; women and

men, girls and boys. There is need for government to engage gender equity processes in the

formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of policies that promote gender

equality across all sexes.

Affirmative Action

To bridge the gender inequality gap, affirmative programmes such as provision of education,

economic opportunities, health facilities, grants and loans should be availed to girls and women

for them to be able to participate more visibly in the public sphere.

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