Recommendations for Gender Inclusivity
Human rights lawyer Shantel Elina Ndebele has proposed revisions to the Prisons and Correctional Services Amendment Bill to make it more inclusive of diverse gender and sexual orientations. The bill currently maintains a binary view of gender and sex, which Ndebele argues limits its potential for accommodating all individuals.
Public Hearing and Recommendations
Ndebele made her recommendations during a public hearing conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs at Selbourne Hotel in Bulawayo on February 22, 2023. She specifically addressed Section 76 of the bill, which only provides for the separation and classification of inmates as male or female. This limited view, according to Ndebele, fails to consider the existence of intersex and transgender people in society.
Gender Inclusivity in Prisons
In addition to current groups identified in the bill such as convicted and unconvicted inmates, juvenile and young inmates, female and male inmates, adults, first offenders, inmates with previous convictions, inmates with physical disabilities, and those with mental illness, Ndebele suggests that the amendment bill should acknowledge the existence of intersex and transgender people. These groups should be allowed private space to interact, express themselves freely, and bathe without fear of discrimination or mistreatment.
Awareness of LGBTQ+ Rights in Zimbabwe
As LGBTQ+ organizations in Zimbabwe, such as the Association of LGBTI People in Zimbabwe (GALZ), continue to raise awareness of the rights of transgender and intersex people, Ndebele’s proposed revisions to the Prisons and Correctional Services Amendment Bill may provide an important step towards greater gender inclusivity in society. GALZ has been working since 1990 to promote and protect the human rights of all members of the LGBTQ+ community in Zimbabwe and envisions a just society where all individuals have equal rights and protections.
#News in Bulawayo #News in Zimbabwe Artist Arts BCC Bulawayo Bulawayo City Council Bulawayo Drugs Bulawayo economy Bulawayo industry Bulawayo news Bulawayo Police Bulawayo Water Bulawayo Water Crisis Bulawayo Women entrepreneurship Business Women Community Culture Currency Drug Abuse Drugs Economy Farmer Farmers Farming Informal Sector Informal Traders MSMEs Music News in Bulawayo News in Zimbabwe Police Police in Bulawayo Vendor Vendors water Water Crisis Water Shortage water supply issue Women entrepreneurship ZESA Zimbabwean economy Zimbabwe news Zimbabwe water crisis ZITF ZRP
Our stories told by us!
