Staff Writer
ActionAid Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission following a courtesy engagement focused on gender equality, women’s rights, accountability and systemic change.
The ActionAid Zimbabwe team paid a courtesy call to the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, where discussions explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in line with the organisation’s Country Strategy Paper 2026–2029, “Action for Justice, Equality and Systemic Change.”
The engagement also provided an opportunity for ActionAid Zimbabwe to reconnect with the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Muwanigwa, a former ActionAid staff member.
Reflecting on the reunion, ActionAid Zimbabwe said it was delighted to reconnect with Muwanigwa.
“We were also delighted to reconnect with the Commission’s CEO, Ms. Virginia Muwanigwa, a former ActionAider. She reminded us that once an ActionAider, always an ActionAider,” ActionAid Zimbabwe said.
The organisation said the meeting was more than a courtesy visit, describing it as an opportunity to reflect on a longstanding partnership built around common goals.
“The engagement was an opportunity to reflect on our long-standing partnership, built on a shared commitment to advancing gender equality, women’s rights, and accountability in Zimbabwe,” ActionAid Zimbabwe said.
Discussions focused particularly on the Women and Girls’ Rights and Resilient Livelihoods and Environmental Sustainability pillars of ActionAid Zimbabwe’s new strategy.
The organisation said the two sides explored ways of expanding collaboration in areas including gender justice, women’s leadership and participation, and environmental and social governance.
“We explored ways to deepen collaboration on gender justice, women’s leadership and participation, and ensuring environmental and social governance is responsive to the rights and lived realities of women and girls,” ActionAid Zimbabwe said.
ActionAid Zimbabwe also highlighted the importance of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission’s mandate in promoting dialogue, accountability and collective action on gender-related issues.
“We value the Commission’s mandate and the space it provides for dialogue, accountability, and collective action,” the organisation said.
The meeting comes as ActionAid Zimbabwe begins implementing its new four-year strategy, which seeks to advance justice, equality and systemic change through interventions that place women’s rights, leadership and agency at the centre.
The organisation said strengthening partnerships with key institutions will be critical to achieving the objectives of the new strategy.
“As we begin implementing our new strategy, we look forward to strengthening this partnership towards a Zimbabwe where women and girls fully exercise their rights, voice, agency, and leadership,” ActionAid Zimbabwe said.
The engagement between the two organisations signals continued efforts to build stronger institutional collaboration around gender justice, women’s participation in decision-making and the protection of women’s and girls’ rights in Zimbabwe.