Duties and Responsibilities
The education system in Zimbabwe is committed to ensure gender equality as well as empowerment of girls and support right that release potential in all its learners. While the recent Education Sector Strategic Plan (2021-2025) has used a very strong gender lens in developing the sector’s plan, there has not been any comprehensive gender analysis of the sector as a whole to determine how well the sector integrates gender equality in all its programmes at all levels. It is noted that other social identity markers such as class, race, ethnicity, caste, sexuality orientation, (dis)ability, age, and religion may also interact with gender and where appropriate they need to be included in the Zimbabwe education sector gender analysis, as they affect children’s lives and learning in different ways.
In 2019, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) conducted a holistic organisational development (HOD) review. One of the key recommendations was for MoPSE’s Learners Welfare department to establish a fully manned Gender Desk as this will assist the Ministry to better be proactive in addressing gender related issues, including matters affecting the boy child. In 2020, MoPSE conducted an Education Sector Analysis (ESA) as a precursor to the development of the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP 2021-2025) which was among other things, guided by United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative and UNICEF guidance for developing Gender-Responsive Education Sector Plans.
The purpose of the education sector gender analysis is to gain an informed perspective on the gender equality landscape in Zimbabwe and to strengthen the gender equality focus in the ESSP. The education sector gender analysis will assess the current status of, and remaining gaps in, gender equality, review the actions taken to better integrate gender equality in education sector programming and implementation,and identify key gaps that when addressed, would improve the sectors gender responsiveness to education. Based on the analysis findings, recommendations drawn will lead to proposed actions for strengtheing gender mainstreaming in the ESSP including strategic actions on gender-transformative priorities, opportunities and entry-points. This exercise will also provide an understanding of the different levels of resources used for services for girls, boys, children with disabilities (girls and boys) and teachers (females and males) to access services.
ASSIGNMENTS:
The education sector gender analysis should provide quantitative and qualitative information, sex-age disaggregated data and analysis of systemic gender sensitivity in the education sector in Zimbabwe.
The analysis grid should cover the demand for education (e.g., social norms, economical conditions, existence of social protection programs, etc.), the provision of education (e.g., school infrastructure, school fees, teaching practices and teachers’ code of conduct, curriculum and learning materials, etc.), and the enabling environment (e.g., availability of data, gender-presponsive budget, availability of female/male teachers, teacher training, policies and practices regarding gender-based violence in and around schools and admission of pregnant girls /young mother, participation of girls and boys in school decisions, girls clubs etc.)
The analysis should include but is not limited to:
-Review of what is in place in the education sector to contribute to Gender Equality including policy frameworks
-Key barriers to achieving gender equality (including social norms, legislative, institutional capacity, political will etc.) and knowledge gaps, to be drawn from i) data analysis, and ii) review of the national policies, plans and reports related to gender equality in education;
-Key recommendations and an action plan for MoPSE to strengthen its systemic gender equality approach and, where necessary, adjust its key national documents and their implementation accordingly.
-A mapping of government, civil society and development partner actors with their mandate, capacity and added value in the implementation of the MoPSE action plan for achieving gender equality within the education system
-The final output will be an analytical and operative document based on qualitative and quantitative documentary review and focused group discussions (FGD) and analyses.
The analysis should contain the following sections:
1. Context
2. Methodology
3. Findings
(a) Key Strengths and Weaknesses
(b) Barriers to achieving gender equality
4. Key recommendations
5. Actions Plan for Key Actors defining responsibilities
Additionally, the consultations during the focus group discussions should include young girls and boys, as well as male and female participants. Focus groups in different context could be relevant at local level (urban/rural, fragile context, etc.). MOPSE and Education Coordination Group (ECG) will be the approving institutions of the final draft. All the instruments used such as TORs, interview guide, focus group guide, list of documents and institutions/ persons involved in the analysis, agenda of the meetings will be placed in annexes.
The raw data gathered from the FGDs and interview guides to be shared with UNICEF. The analysis will consider the various inter-related causal factors, and will highlight trends and forces which could contribute to the overall change in existing gender-related relations. All information must be sought disaggregated by sex as a minimum; other criteria (age groups, vulnerabilities, rural/ urban, persons with disabilities, etc.)
