Information Services of the Zimbabwe Women Resource Centre & Network

The Documentation Centre holds 5,000 printed and audio-visual documents catalogued according to themes like violence against women, rape, women's access to land, women and the environment, and women in politics and decision making. Sources of material include governmental and non-governmental organisations, research institutions, consultant reports, and commercial publishers worldwide. Titles and abstracts have been indexed on the CDS/ISIS database (UNESCO's library management software) and will at some point be searchable online. These documents are intended for use by journalists, army officers, researchers, students, policy makers, and women's rights' activists from institutions with few resources.

The Women's Internet Café is a centre where women from technology-poor communities can be trained to use ICT such as email and the internet to advocate and lobby for gender-influenced development.

Monthly GAD talks aim at fostering collaboration between individuals and institutions in an effort to address gender issues in development. Local, regional, and international speakers (including gender activists and researchers as well as women and men from local organisations and the community at large) are invited to lead discussions on controversial matters affecting women's lives. For example, one upcoming discussion will look the area of virginity testing in a world of HIV/AIDS. Other topics have included the insensitivity of the national budget to women; the effects of the Information Bill on individuals' rights and the publishing activities of women's organisations; and the cost of menstruation. Issues that emerge from these talks are addressed in half-day seminars that involve collaboration with other women's NGOs.

Publications aim to encourage communication and information exchange between grassroots women and other women's organisations and parliamentarians. For example, 'Fact sheets' were produced and translated into local languages in an effort to inform women and motivate them to get involved in politics. One such sheet focused on interpreting the constitution and women's rights under existing law. ZWRCN also publishes a quarterly magazine called 'Woman Plus' that explores issues of interest to women. In addition, ZWRCN has initiated electronic advocacy discussions on topical issues to engage national, regional, and international activists to share experiences and ideas. Results of these discussions will be published in newsletters that are disseminated in print form and electronically.

Women, Gender, Political Development, Technology, Health.

ZWRCN is currently editing HerStory, a document that highlights the work of ZWRCN during the first ten years of its existence. The publication should be available by the end of 2002.