On March 25, 2018, Zimbabwe’s Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) made history when they successfully pressured the Shamva Rural District Council to pass a resolution allowing women to attend full meetings—only the second RDC in Mashonaland Central to allow this. In rural communities, councils are important decision-making bodies. However, women are generally not allowed to participate in, or even attend, council meetings—something which the IYWD, an organization that focuses on empowering young women in rural, mining, and farming communities, set out to change.

At the first such meeting, the IYWD brought four young women to participate. The women noted that having the opportunity to learn more about economic empowerment projects presented in council meetings would greatly benefit them in leveraging these opportunities. However, the participants also stressed the need for women to be able to participate equally in these local decision-making bodies in order to truly affect change. Learn more about the IYWD and its work to empower women throughout Zimbabwe.

Glanis Changachirere, the director of the IYWD, is a Steering Committee Member for the World Movement for Democracy and is featured in our “Faces of Civil Society” short film series.