News / National
Habakkuk Trust to hold policy dialogue meeting on access to birth certificates
03 Jun 2017 at 12:17hrs | Views
Habakkuk Trust has organised a policy dialogue meeting to enable the community to engage and interact with key stakeholders on civic documentation which include access to birth and death certificates as well as national identity cards in Matobo District.
Access to birth certificates is one of the major issues identified by most Habakkuk Trust Action Teams in various districts including Matobo, Gwanda and Nkayi. The Action Teams have noted with concern that lack of identity documents was making it difficult for people to access social services and exercise their Constitutional rights especially the right to vote.
The Action Team did research on the number of people without identity documents and documented the reasons why they were failing to acquire these documents. The research findings prompted the Action Teams to engage relevant stakeholders on how people's issues can be addressed so that they can obtain these important documents.
Matobo Ward 1, 7 and 14 Action Teams last month, made a submission on the issue to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Women Affairs; Gender and Community Development; Youth Indigenization and Economic Empowerment; Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Health and Child Care and the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development, at a public hearing on ending child marriages in Zimbabwe held in Maphisa.
In their submission, the Action Teams explained that a huge number of people without birth certificates in most rural communities was one of the drivers of child marriages. The Action Teams requested the issuance of birth certificates to be tackled first to minimise child marriages.
The policy dialogue which is expected to be attended by Matobo District Registrar's Office, the District Administrator, the Rural District Council as well as the traditional leaders, will give the Action Team and various stakeholders an opportunity to interact and map the way forward on how to address civic documentation in the communities.
Access to birth certificates is one of the major issues identified by most Habakkuk Trust Action Teams in various districts including Matobo, Gwanda and Nkayi. The Action Teams have noted with concern that lack of identity documents was making it difficult for people to access social services and exercise their Constitutional rights especially the right to vote.
The Action Team did research on the number of people without identity documents and documented the reasons why they were failing to acquire these documents. The research findings prompted the Action Teams to engage relevant stakeholders on how people's issues can be addressed so that they can obtain these important documents.
In their submission, the Action Teams explained that a huge number of people without birth certificates in most rural communities was one of the drivers of child marriages. The Action Teams requested the issuance of birth certificates to be tackled first to minimise child marriages.
The policy dialogue which is expected to be attended by Matobo District Registrar's Office, the District Administrator, the Rural District Council as well as the traditional leaders, will give the Action Team and various stakeholders an opportunity to interact and map the way forward on how to address civic documentation in the communities.
Source - Byo24News
