ZANGOC Gender Equality Team (GET)

First let me refer you to Hyun Park’s blog about the establishment of the ZANGOC Gender Equality Team (GET) http://ycicanada.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/gender-equality-team-of-zangoc/. It brings me great pleasure to write this continuation blog because that means that there has been progress that needs to be shared.

In July, two scholarly YCI Youth Ambassadors, three committed individuals from ZANGOC member organizations and 1 dedicated YCI intern (that’s me!) came together to draft a proposal to the ZANGOC Executive Committee (EXCOM) about the rationale behind establishing a GET, the objectives of the GET and the structure of the GET consisting of 11 members: 3 people from the ZANGOC EXCOM, 7 people from ZANGOC-Unguja member organizations and 1 person from ZANGOC-Pemba member organizations.

The proposal was successfully approved by the EXCOM in mid July and we were given the go ahead to proceed with formation. At the end of July Mr. Mzee Ali Haji, the ZANGOC Executive Secretary, appointed a GET Coordinator from within the ZANGOC EXCOM, thus establishing the first official member. The GET Coordinator is Ziredi Abdul, she is fabulous and very committed to moving the GET forward.

When I came back from vacation the end of August, I was very surprised and extremely happy to hear what had been accomplished within the two and a half weeks that I was away:

• Ziredi and Shaib (the YCI Volunteer Manager in Zanzibar) met to discuss the recruitment process
• Letters were sent to all of the Unguja member organizations on August 23rd calling for applications. Applications deadline was August 27th. Fifteen applications were received.
• Pemba was informed about the GET and was asked to appoint a representative from one of the four members in Pemba.
• Ziredi and the Executive Secretary met to discuss who the remaining two GET members will be representing the ZANGOC EXCOM. 

I returned from vacation on Sunday August 28th and on Monday August 29th a team of four sat down and reviewed the fifteen Unguja resumes and shortlisted candidates based on gender experience, leadership experience, research and advocacy experience and experience in social justice issues. As a group we shortlisted ten applicants, needing only seven, and set interviews to take place on Friday September 2nd.

Before the interviews began, we created a score sheet in order to help make a final decision on the seven Unguja members. The decision on the seventh member was close but after some discussion amongst the four interviewers, we came to a decision on the final member, which I think was a good decision.  The interview process was very interesting for me, having never been the “interviewer.”

September 9th was the first official GET meeting with 10 members; the Pemba member was not present due to travel costs. However, we hope to be able to bring her to Unguja for gender training and GET meetings, on a quarterly basis. I feel that the meeting went well, even though there are still a lot of administrative kinks to be worked out but. A great discussion took place amongst members on how the team will operate and what kinds of activities are required in order for the GET to meet its objectives.

Only a few of the resources I was given from the Ministry

Yesterday afternoon, I had a productive meeting at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children Development. I met with the Gender Unit which is funded through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Within this Unit, I met with the Gender Program Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator who gave me some great tools on gender mainstreaming and guidelines on gender monitoring and evaluation. I was also given a contact to two gender companies in Dar es Salaam which the UNFPA hired to train the Gender Unit on auditing and mainstreaming. Either Ziredi or I will contact these companies to inquire about training rates because this is definitely the next important step for the GET if it intends to be a successful team, which I hope it will!