ZAMBIA ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (ZARD)
P.O. BOX 37386, LUSAKA
PLOT 1517, MANCHINCHI ROAD, NORTHMEAD
TEL:
+260 1 224536
Fax : +260 1 222883
E-MAIL: zard@microlink.zm, zardwidnet@microlink.zm
1.0 PROFILE OF ZARD
The Zambia Association for Research and Development(ZARD), has its origins in the Association of Zambian Women, which was established in 1974 following the First Women’s Conference.
During the Mwanakatwe Commission on the Review of the Conditions for Civil Service, they were instrumental in engendering the Mwanakatwe Commission and managing to secure 12 weeks paid maternity leave for expectant female employees regardless of their marital status.
Upon its dissolution some of its members established a Social Economic Research Group (SERG) in 1976 following the First World Conference on Women held in Mexico in 1975. SERG was reconstituted as the Zambia Association for Research and Development and registered on 5th October 1984 with the Zambia Registrar of Societies and given number ORS102/35/336.
In March 1985 ZARD organised the Second Women’s Rights Conference at Mindolo in Kitwe and pressed the government to ratify the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
From then on ZARD advocacy activities contributed to the official acceptance of Gender in Development through the establishment of a Gender in Development Division (GIDD) at cabinet office and popularisation of women’s issues in Zambian development.
During this time a research capacity was established among Zambian women to generate gender information relevant for lobbying and advocacy activities. The need to broaden areas of gender activities resulted in some ZARD members forming a number of women’s development organisations such as the Women for change, Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), the Women’s lobby Group, African Women Educationists, FAWEZA and Women and Law in Southern Africa Trust (WILSA), to mention only a few. Many of them have nevertheless continued to maintain their ZARD membership to this day.
In 1999 , ZARD through the support of Irish Aid and British Council acquired ZARD House situated at plot 1517 along Manchinchi Road in Northmead.
ZARD has its Secretariat and also as a Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) on the property, the WRC has a library and ICT training centre.
PUBLICATIONS
ZARD for has conducted research that has brought to the fore the situation of women in Zambia. The organisation has produced many publications such as newsletters, reports and books based on its research.
Some examples of ZARD’s publications are:
• Beyond Inequalities: A situation of Women in Zambia : 1998 & 2005 editions
• Careers for Girls in the Health Sciences
• Gabon Aftermath: Plight of the Gabon Disaster Widows (of the football players who perished on coast of Gabon in 1993)
• Gender & Development Research in Zambia: An annotated bibliography 1993-1998
• Invisible Girls: The Life Circumstances and Legal situation of Street Girls in Lusaka
• NGO Shadow Report: The Situation of Women in Zambia During the decade 1985-1994
• Using the democratic process to promote women’s rights
• Woman Know Your Place
• World Trade Organisation: Which Way for Zambia?
• Zambia Today – a Gender Perspective
SUMMARY STRATEGIC PLAN 2007-2011
Since its inception in 1984, ZARD has played an active role in providing information from its gender based research. Considering the 22 years of the organisation’s existence, members, staff and other network partners through a series of workshops that commenced in September, 2005 discussed the need for ZARD to rethink its vision, mission, relevance, mandate and new focus thus began the strategic planning process which is still ongoing. The following is a summary from the draft plan for 2007-2011:
VISION
A Zambia where women and men equitably benefit from and are fully integrated in, sustainable development processes at local and national levels.
MISSION
To contribute to the development and advancement of the status of women in relation to men, through the production of evidence-based information, alternative approaches to development, capacity building of communities and coalition building with like-minded organizations locally and internationally.
PROGRAMMES
ZARD plans to work in the following programme areas:
1. GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT – GID
• Corporate Governance
• Financial Management
• Human Resources
• Forward Planning
• Statutory Reporting
• Policy Guidance
• Systems Development
• Membership Administration
Strategic Objective
By the end of 2011, ZARD will have established itself as a professional and effective organization for social researchers in Zambia.
Priority Areas
1. Membership administration and development
2. Systems and Policy Review
3. Resource Mobilization
Operational Objectives
1 To review and strengthen the governance and management of ZARD by the end of 2007.
2 To improve the technical and financial capacity of ZARD in order to effectively implement its mandate by the end of 2008.
3 To develop a culture of strategic and forward planning within ZARD by 2007.
2. ACTION RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY - ARA
1. Gender and Trade
2. Gender and ICT’s**
3. Research Methodology development
4. Research Capacity building for members and other researchers
5. Policy advocacy/Campaigns
• FNDP – Monitoring and Evaluating the mainstreaming of gender.
• Constitutional Review- Gender Equality Commission
• National Decentralisation Policy
Strategic Objective
By the end of 2011, ZARD will appropriately and timely respond through action research and advocacy to key gender and social development issues in Zambia.
Priority Areas
1. Gender and ICT’s, Trade
2. Research Methodologies for Gender and Development
3. Policy Advocacy
Operational Objectives
1 To enhance the use of ICT’s by women in their social development and entrepreneurship programmes by 2009.
2 To institute and conduct research in selected development areas that will contribute to the advancement of the status of women in Zambia by 2011. (develop better research methodologies and tools)
3 To initiate and participate in evidence-based advocacy campaigns and programmes aimed at promoting and enhancing the status the women.
**Gender and ICT's
• Policy Advocacy
• Capacity building
• Linkages to Entrepreneurship development programmes
• Access to Information
• E-Governance and E-Commerce
3. INFORMATION AND COALITION BUILDING – ICB
1. Information packaging
2. GAD Resource Centre
3. On Line publications
4. Blogs
5. Publications
6. Joint activities with other organizations
Strategic Objective
By the end of 2011, ZARD will be able to actively participate in value-adding coalitions and partnerships, based on the principles of information sharing and knowledge exchange
Priority Areas
1. Information Packaging and Exchange
2. GAD Resource Centre
3. Joint Activities/Coalition building and partnership development
Operational Objectives
1 To enhance and maintain effective information dissemination and knowledge exchange on key social development issues by 2011.
2 To re-organise and re-establish a Gender Learning and Resource Centre by 2008.
3 To develop and participate in coalitions and partnerships that will enhance the implementation of ZARD’s programmes by 2011.
2.0 GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
ZARD is governed by a Board which is elected at a General Assembly after every two years. The current Board elected on March 20th 2005 comprises the following:
ZARD Board members
1. Chairperson- Mr. Kasote Singogo Lecturer, Consultant
2. Treasurer- Mrs. Rose Lutele, Accountant
3. Secretary- Mrs. Mercy Siame, Consultant
4. Committee member- Mrs. Irene Banda, Agricultural Extension Officer
5. Committee member- Ms. Grace Bwalya, Lecturer
3.0 STAFF LIST
ZARD’s employment policy is governed by the programme areas in which it operates. Currently there are 5 members of staff employed on contractual basis. ZARD has also recently introduced internship programme and has already brought on board (four) 4 interns who will act as Research Assistants and in other programme areas.
Position & name staff members
1. Executive Director -Mrs. Pezo Mateo Phiri
2. Programmes Coordinator- To be filled
3. Information & Networking Officer -Ms. Emma Ndalameta Theo
4. Capacity Building & Technical Support Officer -Ms. Chimika Lungu
5. Chief Administrative Officer -Ms. Olipa Nyirenda
6. Logistics Officer/Driver- Mr. Obrian Habbaba
7. Research Assistant -Mr. Mulenga Kambafwile
8. Resource Centre Assistant- To be filled
