LGBTQIA community finds economic solution in GALZWhat are the best options for the LGBTQIA community when tackling the economical unstable decades we live in?
by Mambaonline.com
30-11-2022 16:57
in LGBTQIA
GALZ, said to be Africa's oldest LGBTQIA organisation, was founded in 1990, with the mandate to promote, advocate and protect the livelihoods and interests of LGBTQIA people in Zimbabwe. Photo: PEXELS
Zimbabwe has been wracked by economic instability for decades. What then are the options for LGBTQIA people who are often marginalised and excluded from the already limited employment and economic opportunities that do exist?
--
GALZ, said to be Africa's oldest LGBTQIA organisation, was founded in 1990, with the mandate to promote, advocate and protect the livelihoods and interests of LGBTQIA people in Zimbabwe. In addition, the group provides HIV and health services to this community.
It does this despite historical incidents of harassment and abuse by the state, the continued criminalisation of homosexuality and political populism that has often painted a false picture of the LGBTQIA community.
In discussion with Samuel Matsikure, GALZ's Program Manager, we learned that GALZ is now also set on addressing the exclusion of LGBTQIA Zimbabweans from the mainstream economy. But this is no easy task; not only because of decades of social stigmatisation but also the harsh economic realities facing the country.
--
According to the 2017 Situation Analysis Report of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the country has had a very fragile economy characterised by instability, which often led to shortages of the country's currency and commodities.
ALSO READ: Survey shows the majority of the LGBTQIA community is single
In addition, the labour market had a record-high unemployment rate of 90.1%, causing many people to leave Zimbabwe to find better economic opportunities and asylum elsewhere.
--
Many LGBTQIA children drop out of school due to bullying and stigmatisation
The era of Robert Mugabe led to homophobia, and through his campaigns, he ensured that the LGBTQIA community was discriminated against at every opportunity, especially in rural communities, says Matsikure. Thus, it became entrenched in all economic and political structures in Zimbabwe.
Matsikure points out that the roots of economic LGBTQIA exclusion in Zimbabwe start at an early age, with many LGBTQIA children dropping out of school due to bullying and stigmatisation.
When it comes to education, it becomes difficult because of the harassment and isolation by other children, he says, adding that this continues into institutions of higher education. Just two years ago, we did a campus climate survey that showed us that college and college students experience homophobia, discrimination, and stigmatisation from other students.
Matsikure notes that the path to sex work is also a reality for many students as marginalisation forces so many of them to drop out of school. He also points to the many intersections of stigma.
Women in Zimbabwe over the years have not received the same privileges as a boy, especially when it comes to access to education. And if they do not get access to education, that means they are already at a disadvantage in an environment that needs a highly skilled, experienced and educated workforce,
says Matsikure. And if you look at the current economic programmes that are offered either by the state or by institutions, they still think too much in [binary] gender categories. So, it affects different types of women or different types of people depending on their gender. So, you also find that LGBTQIA women experience double stigma and discrimination,
he explains. Many economic opportunities in Zimbabwe are furthermore linked to party politics, says Matsikure. When they are made available, the LGBTQIA community is likely to be excluded. He also points out that LGBTQIA people are at risk of losing their jobs if they are open about who they are, a devastating scenario in a country that has limited employment opportunities.
A path to economic empowerment According to Matsikure, the organisation's focus over the next five years will be on economic development.
As part of its ongoing strategies to address economic inclusion and structural inequities, GALZ recently hosted its first Business Network Summit in partnership with the Bayethe Development Institute and The Other Foundation.
Although GALZ has been a key player in the fight against HIV/AIDS, frustration at the community being viewed only from a sexualised and medicalised perspective was evident through various statements made during the summit.
We have a life to live, money to make, so give us empowerment programs, GALZ counselling psychologist Badza told Pink Advocate.
The ground-breaking summit saw 35 people attending at the GALZ centre in Harare and 113 participating online in other provinces. Many members took to heart the urgent need for economic empowerment programmes.
The summit looked at issues such as the benefits of networking, and entrepreneurship, the importance of funding for LGBTIQA businesses, and access to skills in the pursuit of economic freedom.
While there are some who have managed to start their own businesses, in an economy where everyone is a salesperson, it becomes difficult if they do not have the necessary training and skills or are not taught how to run a business,
says Matsikure. GALZ is working on strategies that focus on building pillars to support and facilitate the inclusion of the LGBTQIA community in mainstream economic activities and employment opportunities, which includes empowering LGBTQIA individuals through training and business networks.
The organisation's Pink Economy initiative, for example, equips LGBTQIA youth with skills suc
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
19/04/2024
Thank You for visiting us at NAB 2024!
Thank you for joining us at the ToolsOnAir booth during NAB Show 2024!
We were delighted to showcase our latest inno...
19/04/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) John Early and Theda Hammel attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Stress Positions premiere at Library Center Theatre on ...
19/04/2024
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
19/04/2024
Pictured: Midnight Family
By Stephanie Ornelas
A great way to get to know a city as culturally unique and rich as Mexico City is to listen to the stories tol...
19/04/2024
St. Louis, MO - April 18, 2024 - Studio Network Solutions (SNS) announced today that MOD won three prestigious industry awards at NAB Show 2024 held this week i...
19/04/2024
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
19/04/2024
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 19, 2024 - The Board of Directors of L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.16 per common share, payab...
19/04/2024
PARIS Intel has announced that its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will include using artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel ...
19/04/2024
LAS VEGAS Technologists working on all aspects of the 8K media production chain offered an optimistic update at the 2024 NAB Show on the state of 8K in video pr...
19/04/2024
OpenDrives New Software-Defined Platform Atlas Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of the...
19/04/2024
Grass Valley Showcases Next-Generation T3 Series 4K/HD Digital Recording and Pla...
19/04/2024
NiTRo's M-CUBE Studio Levels Up Esports Productions with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can...
19/04/2024
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 19
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Major update adds new DaVinci Neural Engine AI tools, new color ...
19/04/2024
Sony Pictures Entertainment is reportedly in talks with Apollo Global Management to make a bid to acquire Paramount which itself is currently discussing a merge...
19/04/2024
Simon Wilkinson, head of VFX at 1185 films, talks about the technology behind the newly-released horror
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
Simo...
19/04/2024
The global electronics company is said to be considering joining forces with investment firm Apollo Management to bid for Paramount Global
By Jenny Priestley
...
19/04/2024
The report broke the economic footprint of EBU member sports broadcasting into three main areas
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
The report b...
19/04/2024
CBS Stations has launched CBS News California Investigates , with Julie Watts named regional CBS California correspondent. She will uncover and raise awarenes...
19/04/2024
MediaCo Holding, which owns radio stations WQHT (Hot 97) and WBLS in New York, said it acquired Estrella Media's Spanish-language video, audio and digital c...
19/04/2024
Netflix has ordered season five of fantasy drama The Witcher, which will be the final season. Production has recently begun on season four, and the two remainin...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream said it added eight more The CW affiliates to its lineup on Thursday....
19/04/2024
CBS has renewed Elsbeth for the 2024-2025 season. The drama, with Carrie Preston in the lead role, debuted February 29....
19/04/2024
With the Bears picking first, NBCUniversal Local's properties in Chicago plan extensive coverage of the NFL draft next week....
19/04/2024
PHILADELPHIA As government subsidies for broadband services come to an end, Comcast has launched NOW, a new product portfolio of lower-cost Internet, mobile and...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream has added more local CW stations for its streaming customers in Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford-New Haven Conn., Phoenix, San ...
19/04/2024
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES MediaCo Holding Inc. has announced that it has acquired all of Estrella Media's network, content, digital, and commercial operations....
19/04/2024
SAN JOSE, Calif. Adobe has announced that the all-new Adobe Express mobile app is available to all users, bringing features powered by Adobe Firefly generative ...
19/04/2024
LOS GATOS, Calif. Netflix reported another blockbuster quarter by adding 9.33 million new subscribers in Q1, 2024 as global paid memberships hit 269.6 million, ...
19/04/2024
The Current State of the Industry and the Future Impact of AI
Hillary Lewis April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The Entertainment Industry: How did we get here ...
19/04/2024
After Effects Tutorial Text Blur Reveal
Andy Ford April 18, 2024
0 Comments
Here's a way to do a quick blur reveal for your text layer. Start by...
19/04/2024
Hollyland Mars M1 Enhanced Wireless Transmitter / Receiver
Colin Smith April 18, 2024
0 Comments
This tutorial shows the new wireless transmitter rece...
19/04/2024
Resolve Fusion: Writing Expressions with Lua
Simon Ubsdell April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The answer to the very frequently-asked question: what is the pro...
19/04/2024
B+C and Next TV have announced the winners of Best of Show Awards for the 2024 NAB Show. The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts at the convention...
19/04/2024
Cate Blanchett narrates the Netflix series Our Living World, which premieres April 17. The four-part series looks at the extraordinary creatures around the glob...
19/04/2024
Apple TV Plus has a spinoff of For All Mankind in the works. It is called Star City and details the cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers working behi...
19/04/2024
Jacquie Walker, longtime anchor at WIVB Buffalo, will step down from the anchor desk. She has spent over 40 years at WIVB and her last day as an anchor is May 2...
19/04/2024
Bob Hearts Abishola will premiere in broadcast syndication this fall on such station groups as Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, Hearst Television, Tegna, E.W. Scr...
19/04/2024
Live With Kelly and Mark remains TV's top entertainment talk show as Kelly Ripa and her co-host and husband Mark Consuelo celebrate their one-year anniversa...
19/04/2024
Sean McLaughlin has been named VP of news for Graham Media Group. He had been senior VP of local news at E.W. Scripps. He will will be responsible for developi...
19/04/2024
Netflix has shared the first trailer from One Hundred Years of Solitude, a series based on the esteemed novel by Gabriel Garc a M rquez. The streamer is on boar...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 in Review: West Hall - SportsTech Buzz From AWS, Appear, Ateme, The Swi...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 Draws 61,000+ Attendees With More Than Half Attending the Show for the ...
19/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI support European OTIC in Berlin for O-RAN conformance ...
19/04/2024
Wuppertal April 19, 2024
Riedel launches Bolero Connect for seamless integration with PunQtum A pioneer in the field of digital intercom, Riedel has recently ...
LGBTQIA community finds economic solution in GALZWhat are the best options for the LGBTQIA community when tackling the economical unstable decades we live in?
