Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
ZIMBABWE’s quest for inclusive development and democratic governance will remain incomplete unless women, who make up 52 percent of the population, are afforded equal opportunities to participate in leadership and decision-making, Government officials and gender equality advocates said on Wednesday.
The remarks were made during a high-level provincial dialogue in Bindura organised by the Women’s Action Group (WAG) in partnership with Government and UN Women.
The meeting brought together provincial leaders from five provinces, traditional leaders, Government ministries, constitutional commissions and civil society organisations to develop strategies for increasing women’s participation in leadership, electoral processes and peacebuilding.
Speaking at the dialogue, WAG director Ms Tambudzai Lovejoy Soroko said women remain under-represented in decision-making despite constituting the majority of Zimbabwe’s population.
“As you are aware, women constitute 52 percent of the nation. They are more than half of the population,” she said.
“The President’s slogan is ‘Leaving No One Behind’. If we leave women behind, then that slogan will not mean anything.”
Ms Soroko said WAG had already engaged communities, traditional leaders, and district stakeholders before convening the provincial dialogue, which seeks to equip provincial leaders to champion women’s participation in governance upon their return to their respective provinces.
She said the initiative was not about competing with men but creating equal opportunities for both sexes to contribute to national development.
“The whole idea is not to pull down men, but to rise together as a nation. When you empower a woman, you have empowered the nation,” she said.
Ms Soroko said although Zimbabwe had made progress in promoting gender equality, women continued to face cultural, economic and social barriers that limited their participation in leadership and politics.
She said for many years girls were denied educational opportunities in favour of boys, while cultural expectations confined women to domestic responsibilities and excluded them from decision-making structures.
“During our time, when money was limited, the boy child would go to school while the girl child remained behind,” she said.
“Culturally, it was believed that a woman belonged in the kitchen. Men made decisions while women were expected to do the household chores and care for the family.”
She added that financial dependence remained one of the biggest obstacles preventing women from contesting elections or assuming leadership positions.
“How do you campaign when you depend on someone else for your welfare? Many women still have to seek permission before taking up leadership roles. These are some of the barriers we want to remove,” she said.
Ms Soroko also challenged society to recognise unpaid care work performed by women, saying many worked tirelessly raising children, producing food, caring for the sick and managing households without receiving recognition or financial reward.
She said empowering women economically would strengthen families, communities and the national economy.
Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Director of Gender, Mrs Egnes Nhengo, said Zimbabwe had made significant strides in advancing women’s leadership through deliberate policy and institutional reforms.
She was represented by the Provincial Development Officer, Ms Judith Hove.
She said the appointment of women to senior positions within the judiciary, including the country’s first female Chief Justice, together with increased representation in public offices and local governance structures, reflected Government’s commitment to gender equality.
However, Mrs Nhengo said discriminatory social norms, gender-based violence and unequal access to opportunities continued to hinder women’s full participation in leadership.
“The engagement advances the implementation of the Women in Leadership and Decision-Making Strategy 2023-2030, which seeks to increase women’s representation and influence in political, economic, public, private and community leadership,” she said.
She said the dialogue also supported the implementation of Zimbabwe’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security by strengthening women’s participation in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and governance.
Mrs Nhengo said the meeting was taking place at a significant moment following Zimbabwe’s election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, adding that strengthening women’s participation at community level would reinforce the country’s contribution to international peace and security.
She urged participants to move beyond discussions and develop practical provincial roadmaps that would increase women’s participation in governance, leadership and electoral processes.
