Women’s Rights Report Urges Massive Reforms Ahead ...

Women’s Rights Report Urges Massive Reforms Ahead of 2028 Elections

Oscar J Jeke- Zim Now Reporter

The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe has called for urgent legal, policy, and institutional reforms to safeguard and expand women’s rights ahead of the 2028 elections.

Launching the State of Women Report 2025, WCoZ Chairperson Evernice Munando warned that unless structural barriers are dismantled, women in Zimbabwe will continue to face marginalisation in politics, the economy, and social life.

Speaking during the official launch in Harare, Munando said women’s political participation remains limited, citing the continued absence of a 50/50 gender parity framework despite constitutional provisions.

She noted that women hold only 12% of local government seats and 25% of parliamentary seats—figures far below the regional SADC gender targets.

“Zimbabwe needs bold reforms to meet its commitments under the Constitution and regional instruments such as the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. We are calling for full alignment of laws with the 2013 Constitution, especially those governing electoral processes, customary practices, and economic empowerment,” said Munando.

The report also raised red flags over increasing violence against women, shrinking civic space, and the lack of implementation of progressive gender laws. It noted that women human rights defenders continue to face surveillance, threats, and intimidation from both state and non-state actors—undermining their ability to organise and participate freely.

WCoZ commended recent government moves—such as the adoption of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy and the establishment of the Women’s Microfinance Bank—but said these must be backed by strong institutional frameworks, sustainable financing, and accountability mechanisms.

The 2025 report recommends electoral law reforms to ensure proportional representation and enforceable quotas in both local government and parliament. It urges the domestication of international conventions like CEDAW into national law and calls for adequate funding and operational independence of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.

The report also advocates for the protection of civic space and women activists, and proposes a gender-responsive economic recovery plan that addresses care work, informal sector support, and land ownership inequalities.

WCoZ stressed that the next three years must see action-oriented leadership from all sectors—including the judiciary, parliament, civil society, and development partners—to avoid further backsliding on gender equality.

“This report is not just a mirror of the current situation—it is a call to action. The 2028 elections must not be business as usual. Women must take their rightful place in shaping Zimbabwe’s future,” Munando declared.

The report was compiled after consultations with women across all ten provinces and is intended to inform the government’s 2025 mid-term review of its National Development Strategy, as well as influence policy priorities leading up to the next elections.