Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the Equanomics initiative in Zimbabwe, a programme designed to transform fiscal policy and public finance into tools for advancing gender equality.
Equanomics is the UNDP’s flagship initiative to dismantle economic structures that perpetuate gender inequality, creating economies that work for everyone.
It is understood that the programme focuses on three key areas, which include expanding care systems, developing gender-responsive policies like gender-responsive budgeting and tax reforms, and generating data to inform policy.
By integrating gender equality into fiscal policies and financial frameworks, Equanomics aims to achieve equal economic opportunities for women and align finance with the Sustainable Development Goals.
In a statement on Monday, the UNDP Zimbabwe said the launch took place during the 2025 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo recently.
“The event was attended by more than 100 stakeholders from Government, civil society, academia, and the private sector, convened to explore practical pathways to embed gender considerations into economic governance,” said the UNDP Zimbabwe.
Among the guests were the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Mavis Sibanda; senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and Ministry of Energy and Power Development; UNDP Zimbabwe Deputy Resident Representative OiC, Mr Lealem Dinku; as well as leaders from SMEDCO and the Bulawayo City Council.
“The participants examined pressing issues including gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and strategies for institutional adoption, tax justice and equity, with proposals for gender-sensitive tax reforms, simplified tax regimes for women informal traders and SMEs,” said the UNDP Zimbabwe.
“Other issues centred on regional trade frameworks, including extending the SADC Simplified Trade Facility to integrate gender-specific quotas and data gaps, with calls for ZIMSTAT to strengthen gender-disaggregated data collection to inform evidence-based policy.
Experts also highlighted how regressive tax measures—such as VAT on essential goods like period products—and limited public investment in social infrastructure exacerbate economic inequality and deepen women’s unpaid care burdens”.
UNDP deputy resident representative OiC, Mr Lealem Dinku, said despite noting progress in human development, entrenched economic disparities endure—disproportionately affecting women, girls and other disadvantaged groups.
National Coordinator for Tax for SDGs, Mr Melusi Tshuma, said the Equanomics will reshape Zimbabwe’s fiscal landscape.
He said the initiative seeks to reform tax policies and public expenditures to reflect gender equity, introduce gender-responsive budgeting and gender tagging in national frameworks.
Mr Tshuma added that the programme will help to promote transparency, accountability, and inclusive fiscal governance, establish a coalition for gender-responsive economies and champion the Gender Equality Seal for public institutions.
“By uniting the Ministry of Finance, ZIMRA, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and civil society voices, Equanomics aims to forge a new fiscal compact that tackles women’s poverty, dismantles economic discrimination, and builds resilience for inclusive and sustainable development,” he said.
“Equanomics represents more than a technical reform; it is a movement to align fiscal governance with the principles of justice, equality, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“As Zimbabwe embarks on this path, the initiative calls for collective commitment to reimagine the role of public finance as a driver of gender equality and human development.”
