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
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
29/10/2025
ESPN said it will produce animated telecasts for NFL, NHL, NBA and WNBA games across The Walt Disney Co. and ESPN platforms during the 2025-26 season under an a...
29/10/2025
WASHINGTON Despite the government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission has passed, with some revisions, a previously announced Notice of Proposed Rul...
29/10/2025
29 10 2025 - Media release SBS, NITV and Screen Australia announce 2025 Digital Originals Shortlist
The 2025 Digital Originals shortlisted teams. Photo credit...
28/10/2025
ESPN Announces Monsters Funday Football', Its Latest Real-Time Animated Bro...
28/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Catherine Chalfant, Manager, Remote Operations, ESPNThe Ole Miss alum is an operational force behind ESPN's extensive college-football catalo...
28/10/2025
Elevating the experience: AI and data take Ryder Cup to the next level By Joe OHalloran
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 - 10:25
Print This Story
NBC produced th...
28/10/2025
Conquering the Air (waves): Taking a close up look at the IBC Accelerator Priva...
28/10/2025
World Series 2025: Spectrum SportsNet LA Brings Dodgers Fans Closer to the Actio...
28/10/2025
Dylan Southern and Benedict Cumberbatch at the premiere of The Thing with Feathers (photo by George Pimentel / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
28/10/2025
For three weeks in Lagos, Spotify's Greasy Tunes Caf pop-up brought the cit...
28/10/2025
Once a niche subculture, German rap has evolved into an influential cultural movement. Now, Spotify is giving the genre a new home with OFFCULT, a playlist dedi...
28/10/2025
Shane Delia's Malta serves up the Mediterranean this summer
28 October, 2025
Media releases
Feast on 9,000 years of culinary history Mondays from 24 No...
28/10/2025
SBS's global sporting festival continues with the FIVB Beach Volleyball Worl...
28/10/2025
Bilbao, October 28, 2025 - AgileTV, a leading technology solutions company for t...
28/10/2025
Disney, NBCUniversal, FOX, Paramount Each Achieve Double-Digit Monthly Growth
...
28/10/2025
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company has announced an agreement to sell WRTV, its local ABC-affiliated station in Indianapolis, to Circle City Broadcasting for $...
28/10/2025
Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia Named to Billboards 2025 Top Music...
28/10/2025
NEW YORK As AI usage continues to spike, a new study from IAB delves into an important aspect of how AI is transforming the advertising business with new data s...
28/10/2025
Charlie Jablonski, a broadcast tech pioneer who helped shape the modern era of Olympics television coverage, died Oct. 25 at his home in Lake George N.Y., the N...
28/10/2025
VIENNA, Austria Bitmovin has launched Bitmovin Observability, a new stand-alone video data solution that delivers real-time insights into video playback. The so...
28/10/2025
LOS ANGELES LucidLink, the file streaming platform, has announced a Frame.io integration and expanded mobile capabilities at Adobe Max....
28/10/2025
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced that it has joined the Ama...
28/10/2025
Lightware, an industry leader in connectivity and signal management solutions, has announced a major update to its Taurus
platform, which now delivers flawless...
28/10/2025
Following a successful mid-September International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, Hiltron Communications will promote its full range of satellite communi...
28/10/2025
Open Broadcast Systems has chosen MC&S (Media Consulting & Services) as a reseller to help strengthen its presence in France.
With over twenty years of experi...
28/10/2025
Bitmovin, leading provider of video streaming solutions, has launched Bitmovin Observability, a new stand-alone video data solution that delivers real-time insi...
28/10/2025
Ease Live, the leader in interactive TV technology, today announced the successful launch of interactive graphical overlays for UEFA Champions League matches fo...
28/10/2025
LucidLink, the file streaming platform, today at Adobe MAX announced a Frame.io integration and expanded mobile capabilities, streamlining collaboration and hel...
28/10/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has promoted Nick Hasenecz to general manager of WNDU, its NBC affiliate in the South Bend-Elkhart, Ind., market....
28/10/2025
Applications Open for Berklee Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant Boston nonprofits can apply by December 12 for funding to support community projects that ...
28/10/2025
Governments everywhere are racing to harness the power of AI - but legacy infras...
28/10/2025
AI is moving from the digital world into the physical one. Across factory floors...
28/10/2025
NVIDIA is delivering the telecom industry a major boost in open-source software for building AI-native 5G and 6G networks.
NVIDIA Aerial software will soon be ...
28/10/2025
The race to bottle a star now runs on AI.
NVIDIA, General Atomics and a team of international partners have built a high-fidelity, AI-enabled digital twin for ...
28/10/2025
Along the Pacific Ocean in Monterey, California, the Naval Postgraduate School (...
28/10/2025
To democratize access to AI technology nationwide, AI education and deployment c...
28/10/2025
Leading technology companies in aerospace and automotive are accelerating their ...
28/10/2025
28 Oct 2025
VEON's JazzCash Wins Silver Award for Innovation in Lending at ...
28/10/2025
Guests include Wayne Rooney, Maya Jama, Dame Laura Kenny, Chloe Kelly, Chris McC...
28/10/2025
The two-hour special, recorded live from the iconic Dolby Theatre in LA, will ai...
28/10/2025
Eutelsat upgrades teleports with Rohde & Schwarz satellite uplink amplifiers High efficiency and resilient Ku-band amplifiers for excellent RF performance
...
28/10/2025
These appointments come at a pivotal time for ABC, as the organisation continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of a digital-first media ecosystem. The ne...
28/10/2025
Scripps Research awarded $4 million to advance platform for neurodevelopmental disorders The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) grant support...
27/10/2025
You can touch this: Haptics becoming central to the virtual live experience By Adrian Pennington
Friday, October 24, 2025 - 09:12
Print This Story
The vid...
27/10/2025
A tale of two trailers: France's Stop & Go doubles up with its new hybrid tr...
27/10/2025
Pro Padel League Stages City's Cup Finals Inside NYC's Hammerstein Ballr...
27/10/2025
World Series 2025: Sportsnet Delivers Made-in-Canada' Moment for a Nation U...
27/10/2025
ESPN Extends Partnership With Sony's Beyond Sports To Expand Animated Altern...
LGBTQIA community finds economic solution in GALZWhat are the best options for the LGBTQIA community when tackling the economical unstable decades we live in?
