Abolishing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission will be a Dangerous Step Backwards

The recent proposal to abolish the Zimbabwe Gender Commission has sparked debate across governance and human rights circles. While it is important for nations to constantly review the effectiveness of their institutions, abolishing the Gender Commission will be a grave mistake that risks reversing hard-won gains toward equality, justice and social stability.

Zimbabwe’s Constitution recognises the importance of gender equality as a foundational principle of democratic governance. Gender justice is not a peripheral matter. It is a core pillar of social development, economic inclusion and national progress. Institutions such as the Zimbabwe Gender Commission were created precisely because structural inequalities between men and women have historically limited women’s participation in political, economic and social life.

To abolish the Commission would signal that the struggle for equality is no longer a priority for the nation. Yet the lived realities of many Zimbabwean women tell a very different story.

Across our country, women continue to face significant barriers. Gender-based violence remains widespread. Women remain under-represented in political leadership and economic decision-making spaces. Many women in rural communities struggle to access land ownership, capital, healthcare and legal protection. In the labour market, women continue to face wage disparities and precarious working conditions.

These challenges can not simply be wished away by dismantling the institutions designed to confront them.

The Zimbabwe Gender Commission plays a critical role in monitoring gender equality, investigating violations, advising government on policy reforms and ensuring that the constitutional promise of equality is not merely symbolic but actionable. Without such an oversight body, gender issues risk becoming invisible within the broader machinery of government.

Those advocating for the abolition of the Commission often argue that Zimbabwe already has multiple oversight institutions and that consolidating them could reduce administrative costs. While efficiency in public institutions is indeed important, the solution can not be to erase gender oversight altogether.

Gender equality is a specialised field requiring dedicated research, advocacy and monitoring. Expecting other commissions or ministries to absorb these responsibilities without losing focus is unrealistic and potentially harmful.

The real conversation Zimbabwe should be having is not whether the Gender Commission should exist but how it can be strengthened to deliver more impactful outcomes. Like many institutions in developing democracies, the Commission faces limitations in funding, enforcement powers, and public awareness. These are the areas that require reform.

A stronger Gender Commission could expand community outreach, particularly in rural areas where women often lack access to justice mechanisms. It could improve monitoring of gender-based violence cases and ensure stronger coordination with law enforcement and the judiciary. It could also play a more active role in promoting women’s economic empowerment through policy recommendations that address barriers to finance, land ownership, and entrepreneurship.

Strengthening institutions is the hallmark of mature democracies. Weakening them is the path toward institutional fragility.

Zimbabwe can not afford to retreat from its constitutional commitment to gender equality. A nation that marginalises half of its population undermines its own development potential. Women are not merely beneficiaries of equality; they are essential drivers of economic growth, social cohesion and national transformation.

Countries that invest in gender equality consistently experience better development outcomes. Women reinvest more of their income into families, education and community wellbeing. Their participation in governance improves transparency and accountability. Their leadership in economic sectors stimulates innovation and inclusive growth.

Abolishing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission would therefore not only undermine women’s rights; it would also undermine Zimbabwe’s broader development ambitions.

Instead of dismantling the Commission, policymakers should focus on reforms that enhance its effectiveness. This may include clearer mandates, stronger investigative powers, improved funding mechanisms and deeper collaboration with civil society and traditional leadership structures.

Zimbabwe’s journey toward equality is far from complete. The institutions created to guide that journey must therefore be protected, strengthened and supported.

History will judge societies not by how loudly they proclaimed equality but by whether they built the institutions necessary to defend it. The Zimbabwe Gender Commission remains one such institution. Dismantling ZGC will not solve our problems. It will only silence one of the few voices mandated to confront them.