Women Economic Empowerment

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

HOCIC is together with the world in improving lives of women to realize their worth and acquire the ability to make strategic choices. The organisation has reached to over 5000 women with different programs that have seen their lives changing for the better. These programs aim at reducing poverty, hunger, contribute to gender equality, and climate action which aligns with Sustainable Development Goals number 1, 2, 5 and 13 respectively.

HOCIC as a child centred organisation, indirectly reaches to a child through women. Women bear the burden of unpaid care work which exacerbates their poverty and limit their time to participate in various political, social and economic activities. Women are the primary care givers of children within a household, HOCIC realised that by empowering women children’s lives are changed for the better, since they rely mostly on their mothers for a livelihood.

With the support from Kindernothilfe since 2013 HOCIC has implemented the Self Help Group Approach targeting poorest of the poor in Matebeleland reaching to over 3000 women aged 18 and above and 6896 children. The program empowers women socially (women share and discuss issues concerning them), economically (savings and lending for business purposes) and politically (they use their numbers to influence decisions on how to deal with barriers). Through profits from Individual businesses, women are able to diversify their businesses, buy small livestock, provide a minimum of three meals per day, pay school fees for their children, buy clothes and buy medication if need arises.

With support from Oxfam, HOCIC has implemented Securing Rights Program (SRP) in part of Umguza from 2014 to 2017 and in Matobo from 2017 to date. SRP changed to Irish Civil Society Partnership-Building Resilient Inclusive Communities in Zimabbwe (ICSP-BRIC Zim) in 2023. The main objectives of the program are to: increase knowledge levels on HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Improved access to HIV and SRHR services and Improved livelihoods for women and young people in rural areas, and Advocacy (capacity building of women to claim their rights from duty bearers), ICSP added a component of climate smart agriculture, ensuring women have knowledge and skills when it comes to responding to issues of climate change. The program empowers women using the Self Help Group Approach encompassing skills training such as detergent training, bead ware, reusable sanitary pads and establishment of fuel efficient stoves which they also use for baking scones and bread for business purposes.

HOCIC has also been implementing SASA! Together GBV Prevention program since 2018 to date, the model aims to prevent violence against women and girls. SASA! Is a four phased tool kit that encourages communities around the world to collectively use their power to create safe, violence free communities for women. Both males and females are trained to become Community Activist who carry out sessions that raise awareness on causes and effects of GBV as well as prevention and referral pathway for survivors. The model also uses He for She strategy where men stand in solidarity with women to create a bold, visible and united force for gender equity. HOCIC believes that a violent free environment is conducive for children’s well being.

Oxfam since 2022 is also supporting 2364 women in Bulilima under the Climate Adaptation and Rural Livelihoods (CARL), they are trained on climate smart agriculture, they are engaged in horticulture and rearing of small livestock. They are also trained on value edition, processing of dried vegetables, tomato puree, marmalade using lemons, and branding of their products. They are also linked to markets which is usually in Plumtree town. A total of 78 groups of women with 10 to 20 individuals are also active in Internal Savings and Lendings. CARL also empowers women with leadership and governance through Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) model.

In 2020, during COVID – 19, HOCIC reached to about 2500 women were trained on dish washing liquid, hand sanitiser, training to use in their households and in public in washing hands to curb the spread of the pandemic. About 23 women continued to make dish washing liquid to diversify their businesses. Adolescent young girls and young women were trained on reusable sanitary pads to curb menstrual poverty.

Every year HOCIC partners with different stakeholder in commemorating women’s days. In the month of March, the organisation celebrates International Women’s Day, in October – International day of rural women and Breast cancer awareness and from 25 November to 10 December HOCIC commemorates 16 days of activism against against gender based violence through raising awareness to the communities we are working with..