Masvingo Women Reject Disbanding of Zimbabwe Gender Commission – Eduzim News

By A Correspondent – Masvingo Province – Women from Gutu and Chivi districts have jointly and strongly rejected proposals contained in Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3) that seek to disband the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC), warning that the move would reverse decades of progress in gender equality and weaken protection for women and girls.

The women voiced their opposition during parliamentary public hearings held at Maungwa Business Centre in Gutu South on 31 March and Maringire Primary School in Chivi on 1 April. Across both districts, participants described the proposal to absorb the ZGC into the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) as retrogressive and harmful to gender justice.

Speaking in Gutu, a woman from Gutu Central said dissolving the Gender Commission would undo gains made since independence in addressing systemic gender inequalities. “This amendment is a grave mistake and a step backwards in the fight for equality and the upliftment of women and girls. Zimbabwe has made progress over the years in closing gender gaps, and all that work risks being lost,” she said.

Women in Chivi echoed similar concerns, with a woman from Ward 5, Chivi Central highlighting the ZGC’s role in promoting women’s political participation and leadership. “We have women councillors today because institutions like the Gender Commission have helped us participate in national processes. If it is taken away, women’s representation in councils and Parliament will decline,” she said.

Across both hearings, women warned that dissolving the ZGC would worsen gender‑based violence (GBV), particularly in rural areas where access to justice remains limited. A women’s rights defender from Chivi said the Commission provides a vital, gender‑sensitive platform for reporting abuse and discrimination. “Without the Gender Commission, cases of abuse and violence against women and girls will increase. Removing it will silence many rural women who rely on it for justice,” she said.

Others expressed concern that the proposed amendment comes at a time when regional bodies such as SADC have commended the ZGC for its work in promoting equality and protecting vulnerable women and girls.
Only a few men supported the proposal, arguing that transferring the ZGC’s mandate to the ZHRC would reduce duplication and costs, but their views were met with strong resistance from women in attendance.

Reacting to these developments, the Masvingo Women Rights Advocacy Group (MWRAG) warned that Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 of 2026 threatens to significantly weaken protections for women and girls. MWRAG noted that the ZGC is established under Sections 245–247 of the Constitution as an independent commission with a specialised mandate to investigate gender‑based discrimination, promote equality, monitor gender mainstreaming, and enforce constitutional gender‑balance requirements.

The organisation cautioned that Clauses 17 and 18 of the proposed amendment would strip the ZGC of its independence, expertise, and dedicated funding, undermining Chapter 12 of the Constitution and Zimbabwe’s obligations under CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol, and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. MWRAG called on women, communities, and stakeholders across Masvingo Province to actively engage in the ongoing 90‑day public consultation process, stressing that defending the Zimbabwe Gender Commission is essential to ensuring that gender justice remains a constitutional priority in Zimbabwe.

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