By: Peacewell Makhurane, Junior Programme Officer
From 17-20 June 2025, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in cooperation with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) conducted a training for ZGC staff on the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders. The training was attended by 18 ZGC Staff (8 males and 11 Females) drawn from the headquarters and regional offices consisting of managers, regional coordinators and officers from different departments including the public education, research, monitoring and evaluation. The training was held at Cresta Lodge, Msasa, Harare and was facilitated by Patricia Mavhembu, Commissioner, Legal Services department at ZPCS and Damaris Seina, Senior Adviser on Rule of Law and Access to Justice, RWI.
The training enhanced the capacity of ZGC to address international prison standards in its work in promoting, protecting and advancing human rights and gender equality, including in the areas of research, advisory services, monitoring and training activities. The participants gained increased understanding of the principles of the Mandela and Bangkok rules. ZGC staff appreciated the role and mandate of the ZPCS in the administration of prisons and correctional facilities and realised the role it needs to play in promoting and advancing gender equality within the ZPCS including addressing gender-specific requirements and the rights of women prisoners and offenders, including pregnant women and women with dependent children.
By the end of the training, participants generated action plans to address gender equality in the work of ZPCS through education, monitoring, research, investigations advisory services. These action plans are to be implemented by different departments within ZGC at headquarters and regional offices and some will require collaboration with other stakeholders. The training enabled ZGC to realise potential synergies for cooperation with ZPCS, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), Law Clinics and other stakeholders in protecting, promoting and advancing human rights and gender equality in the operations of ZPCS. The areas of collaboration include awareness programmes, training, monitoring visits, research and advisory services which will enhance the practical implementation of human rights and gender equality within the operations of ZPCS. Through the training, ZGC realised the importance of strengthening the relationship with ZPCS through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The training has been useful to ZGC in contributing to informing their programming in addressing gender equality in prisons and correctional service.
