Zimbabwe's Sustaining the Gains Initiative to Advance Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment

Zimbabwe has taken a decisive new step to place women’s rights and gender equality at the heart of governance and public finance, with the launch of a new joint programme, “Sustaining the Gains: Strengthening Accountability to Gender Equality and Women’s Rights in Zimbabwe.”

The programme, unveiled during its inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee held on Thursday, boasts a budget of approximately US$4.5 million. It is supported by EUR 2 million from the European Union, US$2 million from the Embassy of Switzerland, and US$200,000 from the United Nations. This initiative aims to consolidate and build upon the achievements of the US$34 million EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, which, between 2019 and 2023, made significant strides in enhancing Zimbabwe’s response to gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices.

The Sustaining the Gains programme is jointly implemented by UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP, in support of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MoWACSMED).

At its core, “Sustaining the Gains” seeks to strengthen gender-responsive governance and accountability across the state, and to improve financing for gender equality, women’s rights and GBV prevention and response – ensuring that earlier progress becomes embedded, sustainable and nationally owned.

“Gender equality is not only moral and social – it is economic” 

In her keynote address, Honorable Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community and SMEs Development placed the new joint programme firmly within Zimbabwe’s national development vision and constitutional commitments. She stressed that women’s rights and gender equality are not an “add‑on,” but central to the country’s economic and social progress.

“This programme is not just another project,” the Minister said. “It is about ensuring that the rights of women and girls are placed at the center of our country’s economic development. Gender equality is not only a moral issue, and not only a social issue – it is an economic imperative.”

She noted that women are the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy, particularly in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. “SMEs contribute almost 60 per cent of this country’s GDP, and 56 per cent of those SMEs are led by women,” she said. “Women are in business, they are creating jobs, they are sustaining households. It is only right that government puts women and girls at the center of what we are doing.”

The Minister was candid about the “big elephant in the room” – financing. “We need resources,” she said. “We talk about domestic resource mobilization because sustainability matters. Where there is visibility, we attract resources – and this is why the role of the media is so important. We want policymakers and the public to see the impact of these programmes, so that more resources are allocated to gender equality and GBV response.”

Looking ahead, Minister Mutsvangwa stressed that success will be measured by outcomes, not processes. “As we move from policy to practice, our measures of success must be reduced incidence of gender‑based violence, increased access to justice and services for survivors, greater participation and economic empowerment of women, and institutions that are transparent, accountable and responsive,” she said. “We must prioritize data, monitoring and accountability so that progress is visible and programmes can be adapted where needed.”

From pilot impacts to permanent systems

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon, stressed that the new programme is not a simple extension of Spotlight, but a deliberate shift from project-based gains to institutional transformation. Mr. Kallon noted that Spotlight demonstrated “that coordinated, well‑financed and rights-based interventions can deliver meaningful change, even in complex environments” – from stronger laws and survivor‑centred services to better coordination and data systems, and greater voice for women’s rights organizations.

“Now the challenge,” he added, “is to ensure that these gains are institutionalized, financed, scaled and owned nationally. Sustaining the Gains focuses on how achievements are embedded in public systems, reflected in domestic budgets, and protected against future shocks. It is about making sure the progress we have seen does not remain a time‑bound success story but becomes a permanent feature of Zimbabwe’s development architecture.”

He underlined four pillars of the programme’s approach: institutionalization of survivor‑centred responses; strengthened national and subnational structures; sustainable domestic resource mobilization; and rigorous accountability.

“In a world of constrained development finance and competing crises, the continued commitment of the European Union, Switzerland and other partners sends a powerful message,” he said. “You are choosing to invest not only in immediate impact, but in the systems and national capacities that will protect women and girls for generations to come.”

“Not just another initiative”: European Union calls for action 

Her Excellency Ms. Katrin Hagemann, Ambassador of the European Union and Head of Delegation, underscored that the new joint programme builds directly on the foundations laid by the EU‑UN Spotlight Initiative, while demanding faster, more coordinated delivery.

“This programme is not just another initiative,” she said. “It is a continuation of a critical journey that stands on the foundations laid by the Spotlight Initiative from 2019 to 2023. But more importantly, it is a call to action – to maintain momentum, to fill the remaining gaps, and to drive the tangible changes that women and girls in Zimbabwe depend on.”

“Zimbabwe has strong legal and policy frameworks,” she observed. “The missing pieces in the gender equality puzzle are implementation of existing laws and policies, sustainable financing, and last‑mile delivery for those who are most marginalized. Without dedicated resources, even the best policies remain words on paper. And unless services reach women and girls in the most remote and vulnerable communities, we will fall short of our promises.”

Ambassador Hagemann was clear about how success will be judged, “The success of this programme will not be measured by the number of meetings held or reports written, but by the concrete changes in the lives of women and girls. Let us focus on doing, not just talking.”

“No longer accepting the distance between policy and practice”

His Excellency Mr. Stéphane Rey, Ambassador of Switzerland to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, described the launch of the Steering Committee as a decisive moment to close the gap between laws on paper and realities on the ground.

He emphasized that for Switzerland, gender equality and women’s empowerment are “non‑negotiable.” “For Switzerland, gender equality and women’s empowerment are not aspirations to be traded off against other priorities. They are the bedrock of sustainable development,” he noted. “Our approach is clear, we integrate gender equality across all our interventions, and we support dedicated initiatives that place women’s rights at the center. Every programme we fund must expand opportunities for women and girls. There is no room for compromise on this principle.”

Positioning Switzerland’s support for Sustaining the Gains as a “matter of strategic purpose,” he linked it directly to the High-Level Political Compact (HLPC) on ending GBV and harmful practices. “The achievements of the Spotlight Initiative have shown what is possible,” he said. “Now we must build on that foundation with even greater ambition – strengthening national institutions, from the Ministry of Women Affairs to Parliament and the independent commissions, so they can implement gender equality laws with authority and oversight.”

At the same time, he urged honest dialogue about domestic resource mobilization. “Without sustained national investment, SDG 5 will remain an aspiration,” Ambassador Rey said. “We must have the courage to say that. Development partners can catalyze and support, but ultimately it is domestic budgets that will determine whether we truly sustain the gains.”

He paid particular tribute to local women’s rights organizations and community groups on the front lines of GBV prevention and response. “The work of women’s rights organizations and community‑based groups is not peripheral; it is central,” he affirmed. “They deliver essential services, amplify the voices of survivors, and engage men, boys and community leaders to challenge harmful norms…”

Throughout the day’s deliberations, a consistent theme was Zimbabwe has the policies, the political will, and a growing architecture of institutions and partnerships. The test now is to translate these assets into durable, measurable improvements in safety, justice, and economic opportunity for every woman and girl – in every community in the country.