While gender equality is globally recognised as essential for human development, Zimbabwean women continue to face systemic barriers despite several government-led reforms. The 2013 Constitution outlawed gender-based discrimination, and various policies and international commitments have since followed. In 2023, gender was made a central issue in the country’s development strategy.

Education has been one of the more successful areas. Girls now complete secondary school at nearly the same rate as boys, 71.7% compared to 72.9%, and adult literacy among women is slightly higher than among men.

But this progress has not extended to economic and political spheres. Fewer women than men are in paid employment, and those who tend to hold more vulnerable jobs. Only one in three senior or middle management roles is occupied by a woman. In politics, although 60 parliamentary seats are reserved for women, they still hold less than 30% of the total. Just under a quarter of the president’s cabinet members are female.

Many in civil society argue that while quotas are a step in the right direction, they are not enough to achieve real gender parity.

Surveys by Afrobarometer suggest that gender-based barriers remain common. Women are still less likely to earn degrees or secure stable jobs, and some families reportedly favour boys’ education over girls’. Respondents also flagged widespread harassment, both in schools and public spaces, as a persistent issue.

Although two-thirds of Zimbabweans say they believe authorities would take reports of gender-based harassment seriously, many also feel law enforcement and the justice system are not doing enough to prevent such incidents in the first place.

Support for women’s participation in politics remains strong among the public, though men are generally less likely than women to endorse equal representation.

--ChannelAfrica/Afrobarometer--