Human Resources Officer

Gender equality and equity are useful aspects in the development of communities. The importance of gender equality is underscored by its inclusion and recognised globally as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals. In this writing the writer would first define terms gender equality and equity. The writer is going to dwell much on issues like income generating projects, education, health services, politics, family issues, and religion which are some of the useful aspects that promotes community development.

Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human right. According to Momsen (2004), gender equality means equal valuation of men and women and sameness in the enjoyment of rights, power, opportunities, treatment, and control of resources between male and females in the society. P (2007) congruently agrees with Momsen when depict Gender equality, as that men and women should receive equal treatment, unless there is a sound biological reason for different treatment. This concept is a key factor in the development of communities, where the ultimate aim is to provide equality in law and equality in social situations, especially in democratic activities and securing equal pay for equal work.
Momsen (2004) went on to define gender equity as a process of achieving fairness and justice among men and women in distribution of opportunities, responsibilities and resources as well as accessing and controlling benefits from these resources. Kaiser (2005) as well defines gender equity as changing responses to, and treatment of, men and women to ensure that gender is a neutral factor when accessing resources, rights, and opportunities. Gender equity is an important end and in and itself for the development of the community. It broadens the entitlements, choices, rights, and capabilities exercised by men and women. At home and at workplace women are especially disadvantaged because of unequal gender relations that segregate women and privilege men in the labour market and in public life.

Promoting social progress and improving people's livelihood. The Government should push for inclusive social progress, always put people first, and ensure that development fruits are shared by all for the community to develop at its full capacity and ensure that gender equality and equity be considered as the leading aspects, R (2007). Innovative ways should be applied to promote equality and equity. Women and men should have access to government supported income generating programmes as well as promotes incentives for gender equality for major private firms to eradicate poverty and hunger. Poverty and hunger are greatly impeding economic and social progress in community development. They also constitute a root cause for conflict, terrorism, and environmental degradation. Environmental degradation can be noted through gold panners in Zimbabwe, makorokoza. Poverty eradication is essential to the most fundamental right of people to subsistence and development. So opportunities and resources should be channelled accordingly for the benefit of the community as a whole. In Zimbabwe the Community Share Ownership Trust, it is a project implemented by the government so that the community benefited from its local resources. For example in Chiyadzwa area the community benefited from the mining companies like Mbada Diamond Company. The community benefited regardless of gender, jobs were created, good houses were built, roads, and boreholes for safe water.

According to David Antony (2001), an educated society is productive in its actions and to create a world of equity, shared responsibilities, tolerance cannot happen without gender equality. Gender equality and equity helps to ensure universal education for the benefit of the community. Gender equality in education implies that, there is equal treatment of both men and women when it comes to educational issues. Everyone should be guaranteed the right to education regardless of gender and promote equity, and improve quality of education. If everyone is educated people cannot be deceived easily, they could make their decisions of the right, and wrong so they will support their beliefs. Also people can learn the history of their country. Education develops skills, which is the main function of human capital. Human capital being an input in production increases as education increases. With education there is less conflicts, gender discrimination, gender based violence and wars among people in the communities. This can be noted in developing countries one could find out that many people are illiterate, and there is unequal learning. In countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo one can witness the high rates of conflicts, wars and gender based violence due to lake of gender equality and equity in the education sectors.

Gender equality and equity contribute to the health service provision and productivity of communities and to improve prospects for the next generation .Conrad (2010) claims that women are adversely affected by both unequal access to and institutionalised sexism in health care industry. So a sound basic health care system should be established that make basic medical and health services more equitable and accessible, and raise the quality and efficiency of these services. Countries should provide equal opportunities to women, improve health of women and children, raise population quality, and promote long-term and balanced demographic growth. A sound social security system should be put into place so as to protect vulnerable groups. A health nation is a wealth nation