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Women’s movements in Zimbabwe have been at the forefront of change for over eight decades, despite the constant and growing challenges they face. Such challenges and distress have been stemming from the political and economic instability that has adversely impacted the lives of women and girls. These shocks and negative impacts have been exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19, which have sought to push-back and erode the gains of the women’s movement. The ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Zimbabwe in 2013 has seen an increase in the number of initiatives both by the government and civil society on advancing disability rights and inclusion in both the private and public sector. Given the intersectionality that exists between gender and disability, women and girls with disabilities have become an important key stakeholder in all gender and disability interventions as they face double marginalisation. 

Within the framework of the EU-funded Spotlight Initiative to fight Gender-based Violence, UNESCO is fostering the Coalition building between the Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and the women's movement in Zimbabwe to ensure joint advocacy for disability rights and gender equality. The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), along with the Federation of Organisations of Disabled People in Zimbabwe (FODPZ) and National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH) will drive this Coalition building by facilitating a learning opportunity and exchange of experience in lobbying, advocacy and policy dialogue. Within the scope of this activity, UNESCO is conducting a survey to map out the capacities and strategic views of both WCoZ members and OPDs in their common thrust to fight intersectional discrimination. The survey will also map out potential areas of collaboration and key areas of mutual support and capacity building.

Given the efforts and milestones that the women’s movement has made in Zimbabwe, the need to ensure that all women including women and girls with disabilities is important. Women with disabilities are usually “Left Behind” in gender-based violence interventions and yet they face intersecting forms of discrimination at a higher level in comparison with women without disabilities. Inclusion of women with disabilities in initiatives that seek end all forms of violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe is important. This activity seeks to achieve this by integrating OPDs into the women’s movement through joint interventions with the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe which will facilitate a learning opportunity and exchange of experience in lobbying, advocacy and policy dialogue

Kindly find the survey .