Project n°60423 –African Regional Project to Promote Women’s

Participation in their Unions

NARRATIVE PART
Project objective: Increase the bargaining power of women workers, including and women workers
in the informal economy, so they can improve their working conditions and promote gender equality
within the union, at the workplace and in the community.

Note:

- When answering the questionnaire, please read first the log frame matrix that guides the
implementation or the project. Thanks for reading it with attention a first time. The report is
based on the implementation of the log frame matrix. Please read all of the questions
carefully, including the footnotes, before answering the questionnaire and do not hesitate to
ask us if you have any doubts on the questions.
- This report is focusing on the results of the activities you have organised in 2021 but also on
the results achieved in 2021 thanks to activities organised over previous years. For instance,
let’s say you have organised training on women trade unionist’s leadership in 2019-2020.
One result of this activity is that 2 women trade unionists were elected in 2021 at the
leadership of the union. They used the knowledge gained during the training and have
managed to candidate themselves and get elected.

PART 1. NATIONAL CONTEXT

1. Please provide a summary of the relevant economic, social or political changes in 2021 that
had an impact the project implementation and to achieve the project objective.

WRITE HERE economically the economy has greatly collapsed because of the supervening
impossibility of covid -19 and the economic hardship of Zimbabwe is the most contributing factor.
Socially, people in Zimbabwe are categorically failing to live a democratic life because the
Zimbabwean government is infringing peoples rights victimising using the pandemic covid-19 as a
weapon to avoid and restrict political rivals from having their political gathering.

PART 2. CONTEXT OF THE CIVIC SPACE

2. Civic space, according to OECD, is the set of legal, policy, institutional, and practical
conditions necessary for non-governmental actors (such as trade unions) to access
information, express themselves, associate, organise, and participate in public life.
"Open"space makes it possible for these actors to claim their rights
 3. Have the IUF affiliated organisations in your country been affected by shrinking civic space 1
(as a limitation or reduction of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech)? It can be
for example negative changes in regulatory frameworks, judicial harassment or informal
limitations caused by governments, employers (as well as transnational companies), and
other actors against unions and other civil society organisations.

WRITE HERE the

The employer took advantage of covid-19. They were refusing us to enter their establishment citing
the issue of covid-19.

4. Are there any examples of changes in legal and regulatory frameworks that have increased
civic space (fundamental freedoms) for IUF affiliates organisations?

WRITE HERE

Nothing.

5. To what extent have the IUF affiliated organisations advocated and in other ways worked
for improvements in civic space (fundamental freedoms) and/or fundamental trade union
rights2?

WRITE HERE the IUF affiliated agitated their members to be vaccinated so that the employers cannot
chase the union from their companies. We also trained our members on trade union rights, GBV and
sexual harassment.

6. Describe if the IUF affiliates have taken any specific measures to counter and adapt to
increased risks and threats met by IUF affiliates or workers in general in your country,
related to shrinking civic space (limitation of fundamental freedoms).

WRITE HERE

PART 3. ACHIEVED RESULTS AND DEVIATIONS

1
and influence the political and social structures around them. “Shrinking” civic space are limitations in
claiming rights and exercising influence.
2
In the context of the civic space, the right to freedom of association, freedom of peaceful assembly and
freedom of expression are the basic ones. They have direct bearing on trade union right to organise and
collective bargaining.
 7. Results. Please look back at the log frame matrix and more specifically at the first column
“Expected results”. Remind in your head the activities conducted in 2021 or before. Provide
above examples of results (success, victory or progress) that you have reached in 2021 per
target group that the project reached directly and indirectly 3.Thanks for writing as much
details as you can (name the companies, the unions, etc.) et explain how each example
(success, victory or progress) has been reached (methodologies and activities organised).
Avoid general sentence as “After the training, workers are better informed” and show the
results (don’t forget that the people who read the report do not know the context in which
you operate).

WRITE HERE GBV and sexual harassment campaign and training greatly assisted female employee
to open up when sexually harassed for examples we have Rwatiringa who works at Golden Peacock
in Mutare she reported her case and the matter is pending before the police and the labour court.

8. Deviations. Please describe any significant deviations from the approved project plan and
log frame matrix that have occurred since the Mid-term report.

WRITE HERE some activities were done as a workshop instead of gathering together as IUF family
and ZCTU affiliates members for example International Women Day Commemoration because of the
pandemic disease.

9. Please describe if further changes in the project plan and log frame matrix are needed for
the remaining agreement period.

WRITE HERE There is need to cooperate the issue of the pandemic diseases in all activities.

3
Remember that organising an activity with XX number of people is not a result, it is a tool that will allow to
have results. The result is what the people have done with the knowledge they have acquired at the activities:
renegotiating/negotiating a CBA, introducing a clause on women employment or safety, creating networks,
etc. For each result, please also explain how it was achieved (what methods you used and activities you
organised). Achieving a result can take time, this is why you can refer to a process that started in 2018 or even
few years ago. Give concrete examples rather than general description and give as many details as you can.
Result matrix

Project objective

Increase the bargaining power of women workers, including and women workers in the informal
economy, so they can improve their working conditions and promote gender equality within the union,
at the workplace and in the community.

Expected results. Activities organised in 2021 Concrete results achieved thanks to the Indicators of progress since 20201
activities (including activities organised
the past years)

Expected Result 1 Women participation in trade The issue of GBV and sexual harassment Women workers are now actively
The number of women union activities increased after has decreased at home and in the participating in trade union activities
being involved in trade GBV and sexual harassment workplace, also workers are now able to and they are also taking leadership
unions increase, including training and campaigns. report any harassment for example a positions at trade union level and at
in the informal economy, female lady who works at Golden national level.
and the awareness of the We did not include informal Peacock in Mutare reported the case of
women workers’ rights is workers. Women membership has increased to
sexual harassment.
improved 45% of which 25 percent of them are
young workers.

Men are also supporting the issue of

gender equality. They also attended
international women’s day
commemoration in support of women.

Expected Result 2
Women rights and priority
issues are part of collective
bargaining agreements
(CBA).
Expected Result 3
Women workers see their
working conditions
noticeably improved,
including working
conditions in the informal
economy.
Expected Result 4
Violence against women
(including sexual
harassment), in the world
of work and at home,
becomes a priority on the
trade unions agendas.
Expected Result 5
Health and safety for
women workers is
improved and there are
less accidents, injuries and
We amended our constitution
so that it includes the issue of
women and young workers.
The issue of mental health
campaign and distributions of
PPES.
Workshops and campaigns
were done on GBV and sexual
harassment
Negotiations in health and
safety policy at industrial level
has been done.
The constitution failed to be adopted on
the last ended congress because it
needed some corrections of which it will
be adopted virtually in January 2022.
That greatly assisted the working
women in our industry by airing out
what they have gone through on the
issue to do with covid-19. The
distribution of PPES also assisted them
in cabbing the pandemic diseases.
Women are now able to report a
harassment at the work place and at
home, for example we have Tendai
Hwaritiringa who was sexually harassed
reported the matter. She works at
Golden Peapcock in Mutare.
We currently have a draft policy at
place. .
60% women now form part of the
workers committees at t plant level.
Great achievement women were not
considered or recognised in the past
years.
Great achievement in preventing the
pandemic and also the issue of
vaccination was now adhered too
through training and understanding that
health protocols should be followed.
The issue of mental health assisted the
working women.
Women workers are saying out every
harassment without fear compared to
2020.
Workers are also negotiating health and
safety policies at plant level for example
African sun and Meikles Hotel.
 professional diseases, and
HIV/AIDS.

Expected Result 6 Workshops on climate change Workers are now aware that the issue of
Women workers are better has been done. climate change affect their work and
informed and also they have to take part on issue which
influenced by global issues protect the environment.
such as climate change,
food security and other
related issues.

Expected Result 7
Solidarity networks among
the IUF affiliates are
effective consolidated.

Explanatory note:
1. This column aims at measuring the progresses made (compared to last years). For instance if in the column “Concrete results achieved thanks to the activities (including activities
organised the past years) “ you indicate that a sectorial collective bargaining agreement has been negotiated in the hotel sector in 2021, you may indicate in the column “Indicators
of progress since 2020” that in 2020 the sectorial collective bargaining agreement dated back 1975. Thanks to that we understand there has been a progress since. This column
serves as baseline information as exposed during the U2U training in Benin in 2019.