By Wallace Mawire
Following its recent visit to Zimbabwe the United Nations (UN) Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls made a final assessment mission report saying that Gender Based Violence (GBV) remains widespread and underreported in the country,among other challenges and positive outcomes.
Claudia Flores, Vice-Chairperson of the Group thanked the Government of Zimbabwe for its openness and excellent cooperation throughout their mission.
‘We are also grateful to the many individuals and organizations who generously shared their time, experiences, and insights with us. Zimbabwe has adopted a strong legal and policy framework that, with a few exceptions, aligns closely with its international human rights commitments. But translating these commitments into meaningful change for women and girls requires urgent and sustained implementation,particularly in dismantling systemic gender-based discrimination,’Flores said.
Flores said despite its progress, women and girls in Zimbabwe continue to face real and persistent challenges to equality.
She said the challenges often begin in childhood and endure across generations.
According to her, Gender-Based Violence remains widespread and underreported.
She said GBV survivors continue to face stigma, limited support services and significant barriers to justice.
Other issues highlighted by the Group include child sexual abuse remaining a serious concern, with girls left behind by migrant worker parents, unaccompanied minors, girls with disabilities, orphaned girls, and girls belonging to religious sects being particularly vulnerable.
Flores said they also heard troubling accounts of how GBV is increasingly manifesting in digital spaces. She said the online platforms,vital for education, connection, and expression are becoming increasingly unsafe for girls and women, limiting their free expression.
Cyberbullying, revenge porn, victim-blaming, and gendered disinformation are reported to be frequent, targeting women and girls precisely because of their gender.
Another issue highlighted is the growing crisis of drug and substance abuse among young men which was also raised as a factor heightening GBV risks for women and girls, especially in certain provinces.
“We have recommended that the Government urgently prioritize both prevention and protection. This includes expanding anti-GBV sensitization campaigns, providing trauma-informed training to law enforcement and judicial actors, and ensuring accountability for all perpetrators. Shelters and one-stop centers for survivors are essential services,’ Flores said.
She said especially in light of declining donor support, there must be fully funded as a core state responsibility.
The Group said it also deeply concerned by the intersecting discrimination faced by rural women and girls, pregnant women and mothers in prison, those with disabilities, sex workers, and LBTIQ+ individuals.
She said in prisons, they observed inadequate facilities for women, especially those with children.
She added the pregnant women and mothers in detention are entitled to appropriate accommodations, healthcare, and protection from degrading conditions , standards that must be urgently strengthened.
The mission said these groups encounter overlapping barriers that further restrict access to education, healthcare, and justice.
Another critical area highlighted is on sexual and reproductive health.
Flores said girls must be able to access accurate, stigma-free information and services.
She said comprehensive sexuality education,which they understand is part of the school curriculum offers an important platform for instilling values of bodily autonomy, consent, and respect for human dignity.
The Group said that they also note important concerns for women working in the public and private sectors.
They said women face significant pay disparities in the private sector and remain underrepresented in senior leadership in both sectors.
They said informal sector workers, including women cross-border traders and artisanal miners, often operate without social protections or legal safeguards.
In the political sphere, they said while gender quotas have contributed to greater representation, many women in elected office continue to face significant structural barriers including limited access to resources and exposure to harassment that undermine their ability to participate on equal footing.
The mission said women and girl human rights defenders also face increasing restrictions due to the enactment of the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act which fosters self censorship among them and imposes burdensome requirements for reporting on civil society organizations.
They said progress on gender equality also requires leadership by those most affected and empowering women and girls to participate meaningfully in shaping the policies and systems that impact their lives is not only just but is essential to building resilient, inclusive, and thriving communities.
The mission has urged all stakeholders to remember that gender equality is not a zerosum goal.
They said a more equal Zimbabwe benefits everyone men and boys included.
‘We call on the Government to promote public awareness and prioritize human rights education for all children grounded in the values of equality, dignity, and autonomy. Gender equality must move beyond aspiration. It must become a lived reality for every woman and every girl, in every community across Zimbabwe,”Flores said.
The United Nations Human Rights Working Group on discrimination against women and girls conducted the country visit to Zimbabwe from 28 July to 8 August 2025.
According to a statement by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Zimbabwe, the independent experts assessed progress and challenges in achieving gender equality and eliminating discrimination.
UNIC said experts examined various aspects of the lives of women and girls, particularly those who encounter multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
They said the Working Group visited the country at the invitation of the Government and held discussions in Harare, Mutare, Masvingo and Bulawayo cities of the country.
UNIC said the experts met with national and local authorities, women and girls, civil society organisations, UN entities and other relevant stakeholders.
They added that the visiting delegation included Working Group Chairperson Laura Nyirinkindi and Vice-Chair Claudia Flores.
The Working Group is also expected to present its full report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2026.
The experts include Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls.
According to UNIC, Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The UN Information Agency said together, the experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
They said Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis and are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
UNIC said while the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION CENTRE (UNIC).
According to United Nations Human Rights, women and girls everywhere are still subject to significant disadvantage as the result of discriminatory laws and practices.
They say that equality has not been achieved in any country in the world, and pledges to eliminate discriminatory laws have not been fulfilled.
They add that the mandate was created to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls throughout the world.
At its fifteenth session in 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus resolution 15/23 to establish a working group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice.
When renewed in June 2019 through resolution 41/6, the mandate name was changed from the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice to the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. The mandate was renewed in June 2022 through resolution 50/18.