Zimbabwe's public and private sectors should intensify efforts to facilitate the advancement of women to meet the target of the Southern African Development Community Declaration on Gender and Development, the Women in Politics Support Unit (WPSU) said on Thursday.

WPSU advocacy officer, Judith Chiyangwa, said this while addressing a consultative workshop to review progress made in meeting targets of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Declaration to which Zimbabwe acceded to in 1997.

"A lot of work still needs to be done to increase the participation of women in politics and decision making," she said.

The SADC Declaration requires member states to have at least 30 percent of women in positions of decision-making by the end of this year.

Chiyangwa called on the government to identify and eradicate barriers preventing women from getting into positions of decision- making, and to implement measures to facilitate the participation of women in politics.

There was also need to identify women with potential to take up leadership positions and provide them with requisite skills and grooming.

"We should develop women to suit positions of decision making and not push them without the necessary development," she said.

Chiyangwa noted that the government had made efforts in increasing the participation of women in politics and in decision making positions, with the elevation of Mrs Joyce Mujuru to Vice President.

She also noted that there had been an increase in the number of women voted into Parliament during the just ended elections from 16 in the previous one to 21, although this fell far short of the 30 percent target.

Source: Xinhua