Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Mutare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has received and presided over 4 000 gender-related complaints since its inception in 2015, reflecting growing public trust in its mandate to promote gender justice.
ZGC chairperson, Commissioner Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe said cases handled spanned a range of issues, including workplace sexual harassment, child marriages, property disputes and gender-based violence.
She said this during the Manicaland Provincial Gender Forum in Mutare on Tuesday.
“These cases include land and property disputes, child marriages, chieftainship conflicts, discrimination, violence and harassment in the workplace, and sexual and gender-based violence. Among these, sexual harassment stands as the most frequently reported violation, a stark reminder of the challenges we must confront as a society,” she said.
Comm Mukahanana-Sangarwe said to improve the reporting process, the commission had operationalised a dedicated call centre to facilitate complaint intake, improve documentation and allow faster responses.
“Strengthened reporting for gender-related complaints through the operationalisation of a dedicated Call Centre has significantly improved case documentation and response rates,” she added.
She also said ZGC has played a key role in major national processes, including the 2022 National Inquiry into the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Young Girls and Child Marriages.
“Our research and knowledge management initiatives have driven transformative change through evidence generation and strategic advocacy. That national inquiry exposed systemic vulnerabilities, catalysed legal and policy reforms, and galvanised multi-sectoral action to protect vulnerable populations,” she said.
She noted that the findings from that inquiry catalysed key reforms and contributed to the enactment of Statutory Instrument 2 of 2024 under Presidential Powers, which strengthens the legal protection of children and young persons.
The commissioner took participants through the commission’s decade-long journey, highlighting key achievements.
“We have held institutions accountable through rigorous monitoring of gender equality compliance across sectors. We have seen progress with some entities taking corrective measures to address gender inequalities in policy content, structures and practice,” she said.
She also said the commission had continued to advise institutions in both public and private sectors on how to implement gender-responsive policies and practices. Some institutions, she noted, had responded by improving gender balance in their leadership structures and systems.
However, she acknowledged that despite these successes, challenges remain. These include limited financial resources, cultural barriers, and the Commission’s absence in some provinces, which continues to hinder national impact.
“Women still face systemic barriers at every turn. There are inaccessible justice systems weighed down by complex procedures and prohibitive costs, underrepresentation in leadership roles, economic exclusion, and a growing burden of gender-based violence and unpaid care work,” she said.
The commissioner also said the provincial forums, being held across all 10 provinces, are a statutory precursor to the National Gender Forum.
She urged communities to take a leading role in shaping gender priorities for the next decade, saying that the forums offer a space for collective reflection and strategy.
“This platform could not have come at a better time. As Zimbabwe transitions from National Development Strategy 1 to National Development Strategy 2, it offers us a critical opportunity to gather nationwide perspectives on key priority areas,” she said.
“These insights will guide ZGC and the Government at large on the key gender issues to be prioritised over the next decade.”
Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Advocate Misheck Mugadza praised ZGC for its extensive mandate and continued efforts to protect and promote gender equality.
“This is all thanks to the facilitated role of the ZGC and the role of Government and the active interest of our president, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, in promoting gender equality,” he said.
