Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), government is highly committed
to improving maternal health in Zimbabwe.
Some of the positive outcomes include: (i) improvement in prevalence of HIV declining from 33% in
1990, to 15.6% in 2007, and to 13.6 in 2010 for ages between 15-49 years; (ii) increased access to
treatment; and (iii) free maternal care for women in rural areas under the Health Transition Fund.
Despite these achievements, the “health for all” objective is far from being realised and large
gender disparities continue to exist. The key indicators recorded by the 2011 Zimbabwe
Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS) reveal that:
The MMR has increased from 612/100,000 in 2005-06 to 960/100,000 in 2010-11 according
to the respective ZDHS years’ reports. This translates to about 12 women dying every day
and 374 every month from pregnancy related complications.
According to the 2010/11 surveys, MMR for women with tertiary education was lower than
for those who had no higher learning and that, in relation to the occupational status,
pregnant women in domestic service are more likely to die from complications than women
in professional positions.
The number of births attended by a skilled health worker shows a negative trend, dropping
from 69% in 2009 to 66.2% in 2010-11
HIV prevalence among women stands at 18% and men at 12% across the population. The
average prevalence rate for 15 to 24 year olds is 5.5% (2011), again much higher in women
(7.8%) than in men (3.6%). This is despite the fact that more women (52%) have
comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS than men (47%).
The statistics show a worsening trend with women in a worse off position. It is therefore apparent that
efforts to reduce gender disparities need to intensify.
(vi) Gender and Peace Building and Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution: Peace
building and conflict resolution is a fairly new area of emphasis for Zimbabwe. Over the years
Zimbabwe has generally enjoyed relative peace and calm hence the issue received less focus.
However, peace building and conflict resolution have become central with the increasing need
for tolerance, acceptance and respect for diversity as the country pursues its commitment to
pluralism in a multiparty and democratic state where citizens are free to demand the
recognition of their rights. Women constitute 52% of the population, and over 70% of the rural
population, and hence are more likely to be impacted negatively by conflict and lack of peace.
The role of women in peace and conflict resolution processes is therefore critical for their social,
economic and political empowerment.
A number of international frameworks set out the parameters for implementing peace building
recognise the important role of women. These include the United Nations Security Council
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