▪ Zimbabwe and Kenya use quotas to ensure that a certain number of government positions are held by women. Botswana and South Africa have no such quotas. ▪ Zimbabwe’s Constitution encourages the State to have even numbers of women and men in elective or appointed government bodies. Kenya’s Constitution directs the State to “take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.” 2.1.6 Discrimination: ▪ Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa all prohibit unfair discriminatory laws on the basis of sex, albeit in different ways. South Africa’s Constitution also includes a provision to redress past imbalances. ▪ Of all the constitutions, Zimbabwe’s Constitution includes specific provisions that seek to elevate and empower women and to safeguard gender equality and women’s rights. 2.1.7 Customary or Religious Courts: ▪ The Kenyan Constitution allows its provisions on equality to be “qualified to the extent strictly necessary for the application of Muslim law” in special courts that may exert jurisdiction over matters relating to personal status, marriage, divorce, and inheritance. 3. The 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe adopted a new constitution in 2013. In terms of family law and women’s rights, the 2013 Constitution has much to recommend it—the new Constitution provides women more rights, guarantees, and protections than ever before. It not only includes strong provisions on women’s rights and gender equality and equity, the Constitution contains a bill of rights that attempts to address existing harmful cultural and discriminatory practices. The Constitution also establishes a Gender Commission to expedite the implementation of constitutional provisions related to women. The commission is tasked with investigating violations of women’s rights, recommending actions to address gender discrimination, conducting research, advising on gender equality, and recommending affirmative actions to promote gender equality. Zimbabwe’s Constitution contains provisions wholly dedicated to the rights of women and to gender equity.2 For example, ▪ 2 Chapter 2 identifies national objectives for women’s rights in the areas of development, empowerment and employment creation, work and labour Zimbabwe Constitution, Ch. 2, § 17, Ch. 4, § 80. 3