THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT |ZIMBABWE I 2017 Women’s Rights Structural and administrative barriers continue Although Zimbabwe has signed and ratified regional to hinder women’s participation in political and and international conventions that advance gender governance processes. Further political violence, a equality and women’s rights, Zimbabwe continues marked feature of Zimbabwe’s elections impedes to fall behind in upholding gender balance. Women’s women from freely participating in political processes. representation in key decision-making institutions such as parliament, local government and cabinet is Despite the government’s policy on free maternal far below the 50%. 46 Section 17 of the Constitution health services, local authorities continued to be lists gender balance among the 34 national objectives. charged fees for such services in public health In this national objective, the Constitution obliges facilities. Some women were reportedly detained the state to promote full gender balance. Section with their babies in public hospitals and clinics over 80 guarantees women’s rights. Section 81 of the non-payment of maternal fees. Constitution guarantees children’s rights. Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) assisted a total of 9309 cases in which women reported violations of their rights. The nature of the violations that women faced in 2017 include issues of divorce, reproductive health issues, inheritance, administration of estates, custody rights over children after a divorce or separation, access to justice, among many others. Despite the adoption of the Domestic Violence Act (2006), there is a high prevalence of violence against women especially domestic and sexual violence, which remains underreported in many cases. Specific Cases At policy level, the government in 2017 failed at the very highest level to meet the obligations created by section 17 of the Constitution regarding gender balance. Both Mugabe and Mnangagwa failed to uphold the Constitution in their successive administrations. On 9 October 2017, Mugabe announced a 42-member Cabinet with only nine women. On 30 November, Mnangagwa appointed his new Cabinet with 39 members of which just six were women, strengthening his predecessor’s legacy of leading through a boys’ club. The country continued to experience deficits in the full implementation of commitments, allocation of adequate resources and political will to enable a conducive socio-economic and political environ ment for advancement of the agenda for women and girls to enjoy and assert their rights. The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) was appointed in June 2015 but has since been faced with many challenges, which include inadequate resources. The government has failed to provide sufficient resource to enable the ZGC to have a full Secretariat to enable it to fulfill its constitutional mandate as provided for by section 234 of the Constitution. By failing to provide adequate funding to the ZGC, the government has failed to meet the obligations established by section 325 (1) (a) of the Constitution which states that the Government must ensure that adequate funds are provided to the Commissions to enable them to perform their functions effectively. In the 2017 Budget, the ZGC was allocated US$1,105,000. See the Zimbabwe SADC Gender Protocol Barometer 2017, available on http://genderlinks.org.za/what-we-do/sadc-gender-protocol/sadc-protocol-barometer/ 46 34