In extremely difficult circumstances, women in Zimbabwe are struggling to improve their lives. They face huge obstacles: widespread poverty, political instability, the spread of HIV and AIDS, violence against women — and limited civil and political participation.
Since 1997, WOMANKIND has supported women's organisations in Zimbabwe in three main areas:
- Violence against women
- Women's access to justice
- Increasing women's participation in decision-making
WOMANKIND and our partners are working together to challenge the deeply rooted inequality and discriminatory attitudes faced by women in Zimbabwe.
Great achievements include:
- Providing free and highly subsidised legal advice to over 7,000 women in 2008. Over 1,700 of these women went on to successfully file and win their cases in court. Many women were helped to escape from domestic violence through divorce, separation and restraining orders under the Domestic Violence Act
- Successfully lobbying in 2008 for the ratification of the African Women’s Protocol — a significant instrument for women’s rights in the African context
- The passing of the Domestic Violence Act in 2007 after more than six years of lobbying and campaigning
- The organisation of the 'Vote for a Woman' campaign to increase women's representation in local and national decision-making in Zimbabwe. The number of female MPs rose from 16 to 25 (out of a total of 150) in the March 2005 election. Currently, women constitute 18% of Parliament.
- Developing — in conjunction with the Ministry of Education — primary, secondary and university teaching materials on domestic violence.
There is still much to be done, and we continue to work hard to achieve more change for Zimbabwean women.
