CSOs, ZEC Push for Gender-Responsive Electoral Processes

By Tinomudaishe Muzanenhamo

Civil society organisations and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have called for sustained collaboration to address barriers affecting women’s participation in electoral processes and political leadership.

The call was made during a two-day CSO-ZEC Engagement Workshop on Gender Equality, held from 9 to 10 September 2026, which brought together electoral stakeholders to discuss gender-responsive electoral processes, stakeholder engagement and practical measures to promote inclusive elections.

Speaking during the engagement, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) Director Rindai Chipfunde-Vava said the workshop provided an important platform for civil society and ZEC to strengthen cooperation on gender equality and electoral participation.

“While Zimbabwe has made progress in establishing constitutional and policy commitments to gender equality, women continue to face barriers to their full and meaningful participation in electoral processes and political leadership” Chipfunde-Vava said.

She acknowledged ZEC’s engagement with civil society, particularly the participation of the Commission’s leadership, which she said was critical to ensuring that the dialogue produced meaningful and practical outcomes.

Zimbabwe has constitutional and policy commitments to gender equality, but women continue to encounter barriers that limit their full participation in electoral processes and political leadership.

According to Chipfunde-Vava, these challenges include structural barriers, discriminatory practices and violence against women in politics.

She said ZEC has a critical role to play in addressing these challenges because the manner in which elections are designed and administered can significantly influence women’s ability to participate throughout the electoral cycle.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission plays an important role in advancing women’s participation in electoral processes,” she said, adding that the Commission has a mandate to ensure that electoral processes are inclusive.

CSOs, she said, have a complementary responsibility through research, election observation, voter education and advocacy, allowing them to bring evidence and the experiences of women and communities into electoral reform discussions.

“Our role is therefore to complement the Commission’s efforts and work together towards more inclusive and gender-responsive electoral processes,” Chipfunde-Vava said.

The workshop produced a set of proposed strategies aimed at moving the relationship between ZEC and CSOs from ad hoc consultations towards sustained, structured and accountable collaboration.

One of the key proposals is the establishment of a standing ZEC-CSO Engagement Platform, with representation from relevant ZEC commissions, women’s organisations, youth organisations and organisations representing persons with disabilities.

Stakeholders also proposed the development of a joint engagement calendar covering the electoral cycle, including quarterly meetings, thematic discussions and ad hoc engagements through physical, virtual and informal platforms.

An engagement framework, potentially through memoranda of understanding or agreed protocols, was also proposed to clarify roles, expectations and areas of cooperation while safeguarding the independence of both ZEC and CSOs.

The proposed strategies further call for institutionalised collaboration around inclusive voter education, election observation, prevention and response to electoral gender-based violence, and implementation of gender and disability inclusion commitments.

Periodic relationship reviews would also be conducted to identify emerging concerns, assess progress and strengthen the effectiveness of ZEC-CSO collaboration.

The workshop also identified strategic communication as an important pillar of effective stakeholder engagement.

Among the proposals is the designation of focal persons within ZEC and participating CSOs, supported by an updated stakeholder contact database.

Stakeholders further called for clear communication protocols, including appropriate channels and response timelines for invitations, information requests, accreditation enquiries and follow-up matters.

The provision of timely, accurate and accessible electoral information was highlighted, with stakeholders proposing the use of simplified language and formats accessible to women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups.

The media was also identified as a key partner, with stronger engagement proposed between ZEC, journalists and media institutions to promote gender-sensitive reporting and counter misinformation, disinformation and online violence against women.

The proposed approach also emphasises two-way communication, including regular feedback mechanisms through which CSOs can raise concerns and ZEC can provide timely responses and clarification.

Stakeholders proposed the development of a shared advocacy agenda addressing barriers including nomination and accreditation fees, accessibility, political party practices and women’s access to campaign resources.

An action tracker would also identify agreed actions, responsible actors and timelines, with regular reviews through the ZEC-CSO platform.

The workshop further proposed circulating and popularising the Gender Checklist for Free, Fair and Credible Elections for use in election programming, observation and advocacy.Chipfunde-Vava said the checklist provides a practical mechanism for assessing the extent to which electoral processes are gender-responsive and inclusive.

Its use, she said, would help stakeholders identify gender gaps and barriers across the electoral cycle, strengthen monitoring and evidence-based engagement, and develop practical recommendations for improving women’s participation.

Chipfunde-Vava urged participants to approach the engagement with openness and a willingness to listen to different perspectives.“I therefore encourage us all to listen as much as we speak. Let us share our experiences and perspectives and remain open to understanding each other,” she said.

She expressed confidence that the diversity of stakeholders represented at the workshop would provide a strong foundation for meaningful discussions and practical outcomes.

The proposed pathway emerging from the engagement is to institutionalise engagement, strengthen communication, coordinate joint action, track progress, and regularly review and improve collaboration.

The broader objective is to move beyond one-off consultations towards a sustained ZEC-CSO partnership capable of addressing gender barriers throughout the electoral cycle and contributing to inclusive, transparent and credible elections.