By: Mercy Jaravani
In Zimbabwe, gender equality is not merely an aspiration or a human rights issue. It is a principle and value upon which Zimbabwe is founded, as provided under Section 3 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Embedding gender equality as a constitutional principle is critical, as it propels the nation toward a more gender-equitable society.
In this critical piece, I share reflections concerning the contemplated move to disband the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) and merge it as a sub-unit under the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. These reflections are shared purely from a national development perspective as envisaged by the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2).
The practical establishment of the ZGC as a stand-alone gender accountability commission in Section 245 of the Constitution was a deliberate and purposeful act by policymakers, government, and the people of Zimbabwe. It was inspired by the pressing need to ensure that laws, policies, and practices pertaining to substantive equality transcend rhetoric.
The current proposition under Constitution Amendment Number 3 to dismantle the ZGC, relegating it to a directorate or sub-unit within the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, is a significant step backwards in advancing one of Zimbabwe’s national development priorities. The de-prioritization of gender equality and the consequent weakening of protections for women, as envisaged by Clauses 18 and 19 of the Amendment, signal a fundamental departure from the founding values and principles of the Constitution.
Barely two months since the NDS-2 came into operation, the proposition to disempower and weaken a critical institution such as the ZGC suggests a startling departure from the very path the government recently charted under the NDS-2.
The National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2)
The NDS-2 embodies Zimbabwe’s collective development priorities. The ten priority areas of the NDS-2 are:
- Macro-economic Stability and Financial Sector Deepening
- Inclusive Economic Growth and Structural Transformation
- Infrastructure and Housing
- Agriculture, Food, Climate, and Environment
- Science, Technology, Innovation, and Human Capital Development
- Job Creation, Youth Entrepreneurship & Development, Creative Industry, Sport and Culture
- Regional Development and Inclusivity through Devolution and Decentralisation
- Social Development, Gender, and Social Protection
- Image Building, International Relations, and Trade
- Good Governance, Institution Building, Peace and Security
Throughout 2025, Zimbabwe undertook a critical process to rethink and redesign its development trajectory through the development of the NDS-2. Women, coordinated by the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), participated actively in this fundamental process, and I was privileged to be among those who did.
As a result of women’s collective engagement and the government’s shared vision for advancing gender equality, the NDS-2 committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment as both a primary development outcome and a necessary enabler for all other goals. To achieve this, a dual approach was employed: mainstreaming gender equality across all sectors while recognizing it as a stand-alone priority thematic area.
Priority Area: Social Development, Gender, and Social Protection
The NDS-2 explicitly highlights that Zimbabwe will elevate gender equality and women’s empowerment as both a development outcome and an enabler. This is to be achieved through mainstreaming gender across all sectors and establishing gender-specific targets and indicators to ensure accountability.
Paragraph 1508 of the Strategy lays out a strategy for institutional reforms, stressing that “in order to strengthen accountability mechanisms for gender equality and women empowerment, Government will strengthen oversight role by institutions with mandates on gender equality and women empowerment.”
The ZGC is one such accountability institution. While there is a broader National Gender Machinery, the ZGC is the only institution created by the Constitution, carrying the mandate to “do everything necessary to promote gender equality” (Section 246(i)). Therefore, as the primary institution with this mandate, the ZGC is the engine of the NDS-2 promise of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Removing it directly contradicts the government’s own economic blueprint.
Priority Area: Governance, Institution Building, Peace and Security
This priority area is described in the NDS-2 as a “foundational pillar essential for fostering stability, integrity, and sustainable development.” The strategy lays a roadmap for robust institutional oversight as the “bedrock upon which a resilient, equitable, and prosperous Zimbabwe is built.”
Sustainable development is impossible if institutions designed to protect citizens are dismantled shortly after their importance is reaffirmed. Paragraph 1750 of the NDS-2 dedicates special attention to oversight and governance, stating that “institutions with governance oversight will be empowered to exercise their oversight function… These include the ZGC.”
Yet, Articles 18 and 19 of Amendment 3 seek to weaken and disempower the ZGC by removing it as a stand-alone commission and merging it into a sub-unit under the ZHRC. When juxtaposed with the NDS-2, a fundamental question arises: what has changed between December 2025, when the NDS-2 was operationalized, and February 2026, when the Amendment was gazetted?
Priority Area: Image Building, International Relations, and Global Integration
The NDS-2 emphasizes that international relations and regional integration facilitate foreign investment and sustainable development. However, the policy inconsistency between the NDS-2 and the Amendment clauses on the ZGC erodes the credibility of the Strategy and places its intended targets and outcomes in jeopardy.
Amending the Constitution to remove the ZGC as a stand-alone commission effectively means revisiting the NDS-2, in its infancy, to address issues that had already been carefully considered. For a nation seeking to build confidence and attract foreign investment, such policy inconsistency undermines national and international credibility.
Conclusion
It is not in the best interests of Zimbabwe, from a national development perspective, to disband the ZGC. For economic development to excel under the NDS-2, institutions built to deliver that success must be protected and preserved. Disbanding the ZGC, at this time or in the future, is ill-conceived and runs contrary to the spirit and letter of the country’s economic blueprint.
The ZGC must be preserved and strengthened to deliver on its constitutional mandate, the NDS-2, and the broader National Gender Machinery. Its role as the engine of accountability for gender equality and women’s empowerment is non-negotiable and central to Zimbabwe’s sustainable development.
