Written by Lloyd Dembure, PITCH country focal point

During a capacity building training and a field tour of parliamentarians on policy and legal reform for adolescent girls and young women and key populations, LGBT members called for policy reform to respect sexual diversity.  

Speaking at the Mutare drop-in centre, GALZ members bemoaned stigma in healthcare settings and communities. They also recommended equal protection by the law as they shared ordeals of violence from law enforcement agents and communities due to their sexual orientation.

GALZ partnered with the National AIDS Council, the Government, UNAIDS and other civil society organisations in strengthening the capacities of 70 new parliamentarians of the 9th session drawn from the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS, the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Portfolio Committee on Gender, Women Affairs and Community Development.

The training was meant to strengthen advocacy opportunities for an enabling legal and policy environment and resource allocation for the advancement of the sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescent girls and young women and key populations. Sessions covered constitutionalism, legal and policy barriers facing LGBT, age of consent for accessing sexual and reproductive health services, and a safe abortion policy reform. The legislators agreed to promote public conversations on LGBTI issues showing tolerance and acceptance.