Zimbabwe gained independence from British colonial rule in 1980 after a harrowing civil war. The country’s current constitution, drafted in 2013 states, “The State must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society, and in particular– a. the State must promote the full participation of women in all spheres of Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men; b. the State must take all measures, including legislative measures, needed to ensure that–both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level.” Zimbabwe ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1997, and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol in 2008. The government has passed numerous gender equality laws including the 2006 Criminal Law Act prohibiting marital rape, and the 2007 Domestic Violence Act which also banned traditional cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriages. According to the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, which measures economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, Zimbabwe ranks 47th out of 156 countries. Though the country has made significant progress toward advancing women’s rights, work still remains. According to the UN, one in three women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence and about one in four have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. Secondary educational attainment is also much lower for girls with another UN report showing that one out of three girls is married before the age of 18. Feminist organizations in Zimbabwe are hard at work to combat these glaring discrepancies. The Girl Child Network Zimbabwe, Musasa, Women Action Group, and the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association are providing support and resources for women and girls while ensuring their rights are upheld by the law.
Despite gender stereotypes and limited investment in developing women’s sports, Zimbabwe’s female athletes have historically out performed their male counterparts on the world’s sporting stage. Women first participated in the Olympics in 1980, and the national field hockey team won Zimbabwe’s first medal. The 1980 Games were the inaugural Olympics for women’s field hockey, and Zimbabwe brought home the gold, earning the nickname, “The Golden Girls.” This was the country’s first and only Olympic medal until swimmer Kirsty Coventry won three medals at the 2004 Athens Games and four at the 2008 Beijing Games. Coventry ended her career as a five-time Olympian and the most decorated athlete in Zimbabwe’s history. Women first participated in the Paralympics in 1980 with Sandra James, Mary Dube, and Eileen Robertson winning the country’s first Paralympic medals. The national soccer team finished fourth in the 2000 African Women’s Championship, and qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The national cricket team, currently ranked 11th in the world, has made three World Cup appearances, finishing fifth in 2008.
Meet and support global leaders creating change in Zimbabwe:
Grace Chirumnanzu
Belia Zibowa
How does Zimbabwe compare to other countries?
Where do you want to explore next?
Women in Leadership
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT AS OF 2020
32%
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY POSITIONS AS OF 2020
19%
Has a Woman Ever Been Head of State or Head of Government?
No
HAS A WOMAN EVER BEEN SPORTS MINISTER?
Kirsty Coventry, 2017 - Present
Title IX Timeline
1957
Women gained the right to vote under British colonial rule (full suffrage).
1965
The Southern Rhodesian government (later to be renamed Zimbabwe) made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on November 11.
1970
The white minority government of Southern Rhodesia declared itself a republic and claimed nation status as the Republic of Rhodesia. A civil war ensued between the minority government and the majority-black electorate.
1980
The civil war ended and Zimbabwe gained independence in April 18. Twenty-one women became the first female athletes to represent Zimbabwe in the Olympics and Paralympics. The women’s national field hockey team won a gold medal, making them the first Zimbabawian athletes to win an Olympic medal. Sandra James, Mary Dube, and Eileen Robertson won Zimbabwe’s first Paralympic medals.
1997
Zimbabwe ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Women in the olympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
28
-
10
-
13
-
24
-
1
Women in the Paralympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
6
-
0
-
3
-
3
-
2
Elite Sports Participation
First Year Women Participated In The Olympics
1980
Year Women’s Participation In Olympics Was Equal To Men’s
2016
First Time A Woman Won An Olympic Medal
Women's Field Hockey Team: 1980 (Gold)
First Year Women Participated In The Paralympics
1980
Year Women’s Participation In Paralympics Was Equal To Men’s
1980
First Time A Woman Won A Paralympic Medal
Sandra James: 1980, Athletics (Silver) Lawn Bowl (Silver) Swimming (Silver) Table Tennis (Silver) Eileen Robertson: 1980 Lawn Bowl (Silver & Bronze) Swimming (Silver & Bronze) Mary Dube: 1980, Athletics (Silver)
FIFA
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1997
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
FIFA is committed to the growth and development of women’s football around the globe.
For More Information
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1994
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
The NBA and the Basketball Africa League are working together across Africa to raise awareness about gender-based violence, support girls’ education, and increase female involvement in basketball at all levels.
Increasing the participation of women in basketball at all levels was named as one of FIBA’s eight strategic objectives (2019- 2027) and one of FIBA’s three strategic priorities (2019-2023).
For More Information
NBA + Basketball Africa League Partnership
FIBA Strategic Objectives
LOCAL
Sports
Initiatives
Community Organizations That Have Signed The Brighton + Helsinki Declaration
Zimbabwe Sports Commission
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee
Zimbabwe Baseball Federation
Women in Sport Foundation Zimbabwe
