The Centre for Civic Engagement for 11 months has been running an initiative focused on Building a Concerted Movement of Youths and Women for Democracy and Development, whose aim was to nurture women’s and youths’ activism and advocacy capacities as well as help in building sustainable and visible organisations/platforms of youth and women who focus on inclusive democracy. We started with 16 participants from various backgrounds working in the areas of democracy, women and youth empowerment, development and technology, and women’s rights. The program was split into the following components: the incubation of youth/women-led platforms and organisations; improving the advocacy capacities of participants through online and face-to-face training on civic engagement and developing an advocacy strategy together with communities through the three (3) step policy advocacy lab process, which also was a platform to help foster more inclusive community dialogue on what which is a key component to advancing more inclusive democracy and development in Zimbabwe.
The workshop held on the 10th of December 2024 was part of the process of completing the final two steps of the policy advocacy lab and to also formally closing out the project and handing out certificates of completion to participants.