ZESN Calls for Gender-Focused Electoral Reforms as Women’s Representation Declines

By Elishamai Alouis Ziumbwa

Local Civil society groups are urging stronger regional collaboration to push for gender-inclusive electoral reforms that promote women’s political leadership, drawing lessons from regional neighbours such as Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

At a Harare workshop titled “Electoral Reform Through a Gender Lens: Insights from Malawi and South Africa,” Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) Executive Director Rindai Chipfunde said the country stood to gain from learning how others in the region have advanced women’s political participation.

“We are engaging with experiences from across the region to identify the most effective gender-inclusive electoral strategies,” Chipfunde said.

She noted that while Zimbabwe’s proportional representation quota has helped increase women’s numbers in Parliament, the declining number of directly elected female MPs points to deeper structural challenges.

“The quota system helped us reach about 30% representation, but the number of women winning direct constituency elections is falling. We need to go beyond quotas and create real conditions that empower women to compete effectively,” she added.

Chipfunde said sustainable reform required collaboration among electoral bodies, women’s groups and policymakers.

“Effective reform requires consensus and buy-in across the electoral ecosystem,” she said, emphasising that unified advocacy could help carry forward women’s full participation in democracy.

Women in Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) Director, Sakhile Sifelani echoed the call for regional learning saying Zimbabwe could adapt successful gender models from its Southern African counterparts.

Although Zimbabwe appears to be performing relatively well in terms of women’s representation Sifelani said the picture was more complex.

“A closer look reveals a 15-year regression in the number of women winning direct election seats. While quotas have boosted overall figures, we still lag behind in representation at constituency and ward levels,” she said.

Sifelani added that regional cooperation could help shape legal and institutional reforms to achieve genuine gender parity.

“The measures we discuss must be translated into frameworks that protect women’s gains and ensure equality in outcomes, not just participation,” she said.

She said civil society organisations were already engaging Parliament and the Executive to push for inclusive reforms ahead of the 2028 general elections.

“We are engaging at multiple levels to plug the gaps and expect Parliament to take leadership in initiating legal amendments — this time in a more inclusive manner,” Sifelani said.

The workshop forms part of ZESN’s ongoing commitment to promoting inclusive democracy and ensuring that Zimbabwe’s electoral reforms uphold gender equity and human rights principles.