By Aldridge Dzvene | Positive Eye News
HARARE – A powerful sense of hope, commitment and collective responsibility filled the air at the Rainbow Towers Hotel on 27 June 2025, as Zimbabwe launched its transformative 2025 National Gender Policy. In a moment both reflective and visionary, the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission delivered remarks that not only acknowledged progress made but reignited national momentum towards a more gender-equal Zimbabwe.
The event, graced by Honourable Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, alongside SADC Gender Ministers, development partners and civil society leaders, symbolised more than the unveiling of a policy document, it marked a national recommitment to dismantling systemic inequalities and creating space for all Zimbabweans to thrive, regardless of gender.
For the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, this policy launch could not have come at a more opportune time. As the Commission celebrates its tenth anniversary since operationalisation in 2015, the policy aligns perfectly with its constitutional mandate, to promote gender equality and equity and to hold institutions accountable in realising the promise of the Constitution.
In her remarks, the Commission’s Chairperson emphasised that the policy is not simply a technical blueprint. It is a transformative vision built on ten foundational pillars, which speak to the pressing needs of the time, climate action, pandemic resilience, gender and energy, disability inclusion, among others. These pillars signal that Zimbabwe is not only catching up with regional and global gender frameworks but leading with a bold and intersectional approach that leaves no one behind.
The Chairperson lauded Honourable Senator Mutsvangwa for her visionary leadership in driving the policy to completion, noting that it is through such unwavering political will that meaningful institutional reforms can take root. This launch, she said, was more than an event, it was the ignition of a new chapter in Zimbabwe’s journey towards gender justice.
What sets this iteration of the National Gender Policy apart is the clear structure for implementation and oversight. In a move that reflects the deepening maturity of Zimbabwe’s gender governance framework, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission has been entrusted with the task of monitoring implementation. The Chairperson expressed full readiness and enthusiasm to fulfill this role, pledging that the Commission would ensure the policy is not relegated to shelf life but translated into real, measurable outcomes that change lives.
There was a distinct call to action in her voice, urging all present, from public institutions to civil society, development partners to the media, to move beyond rhetoric and recommit to gender equality as a national development imperative. “We do more than launch a policy,” she said, “we ignite transformation.” That phrase captured the spirit of the evening, encapsulating the idea that gender equality is not a destination but an evolving process that demands vigilance, unity, and sustained action.
The dinner event, set against the backdrop of regional solidarity and international cooperation, was also a celebration of collaboration. The Chairperson extended appreciation to all stakeholders who contributed to the policy, underscoring that national transformation is not the burden of one ministry or one commission alone. It is a shared mission, requiring harmonised efforts across government, communities, and institutions.
As the evening drew to a close, there was a palpable sense of a milestone reached, but also a long road ahead. Yet with the 2025 National Gender Policy now launched and anchored in constitutional oversight, the road seems clearer, the destination more attainable, and the national will more united.
Zimbabwe has spoken through this policy, gender equality is not a favour, it is a right. And with a reinvigorated Commission ready to lead on accountability, the work of turning policy into lived reality begins in earnest.
