A Collective Victory for Gender Justice in Zimbabwe

by Khumbulani Maphosa – Voices for Water movement in Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe’s Voices for Water, working in partnership with the Our Water Our Right Coalition (OWORAC) and other partners, has scored a major advocacy milestone in the ongoing national debate on the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Bill No. 3 of 2026.

The proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill (also known as CAB3) proposes numerous rights and accountability-muzzling clauses. Among them are Clauses 17 and 18, which seek to repeal the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) and transfer its functions to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.

For Voices for Water and its partners, the proposed repeal raised concerns about its negative implications for gender justice, accountable service delivery, and the protection of vulnerable communities. These concerns were especially significant given ZGC’s critical role on issues relating to the right to water and public service delivery. Through its broader mandate to promote gender equality and protect women’s rights, the Commission has helped draw attention to the gendered dimensions of water access and the challenges faced by underserved communities, including women, informal settlers, and other marginalised groups.

To push back on the repeal of the Commission, Voices for Water and its allies, including OWORAC joined broader national and regional efforts to oppose the repeal. The movement engaged in numerous complementary actions that included policy analysis, public awareness campaigns, online dialogues with citizens and journalists, and grassroots mobilisation across six provinces. Citizens were encouraged to participate in parliamentary public hearings and submit objections to the Bill, particularly the provisions seeking to abolish the Zimbabwe Gender Commission. Community members were also supported to prepare written submissions outlining the importance of retaining the Commission as an independent constitutional body. As a result of these efforts, about 345 objections were submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

The impact of this collective mobilisation became evident when the Joint Portfolio and Thematic Committees of Parliament responsible for conducting CAB3 public hearings submitted their report. In a significant development, the Committees recommended that “the Zimbabwe Gender Commission should remain in place and that the clause seeking its repeal should not be adopted”. This recommendation represents an important victory for citizens, civil society organisations, women’s rights advocates, and communities that rely on the Commission to advance gender-responsive governance and social justice in Zimbabwe.

While the parliamentary process is still ongoing as currently Members of Parliament are debating the Bill, this recommendation demonstrates the power of organised citizen action, evidence-based advocacy, and continental solidarity. It also affirms the importance of safeguarding institutions that help Zimbabwe meet its constitutional and international commitments on gender equality and human rights.