Zimbabwe Moves to Merge Gender Commission into Human Rights Commission

The UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls has sent a formal communication to the Zimbabwe government questioning plans under Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 to dissolve the Zimbabwe Gender Commission. Zimbabwe's Cabinet approved the bill on 10 February 2026.

It was gazetted after the approval. Clause 18 of the bill seeks to repeal provisions establishing the commission while Clause 19 transfers its functions to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.

The UN Working Group conducted a country visit to Zimbabwe in August 2025 during which it acknowledged the commission's role but noted its operational challenges. could potentially risk deprioritising gender equality issues," the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls stated.

It stated that the change "would set a dangerous precedent and send a concerning message that the achievement of gender equality... " The UN Working Group reminded authorities that under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, known as CEDAW, states are required to take "all appropriate measures" to eliminate discrimination and gender-based violence.

"States have a fundamental obligation to pursue, without delay and by all appropriate means, a policy aimed at eliminating discrimination against women," it stated. "National machineries for the advancement of women... have been important in promoting implementation, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, and mobilisation of support for policies that advance women," the Working Group stated.

The group stated that it was of the view that the absorption of the Gender Commission by the Human Rights Commission might further dilute resources granted to ensuring gender equality. AllAfrica reported that the UN experts asked the Zimbabwe government to clarify whether a gender-impact assessment was conducted.

The Working Group also asked whether stakeholders, particularly women's organisations, were consulted on the bill.

It requested details on how authorities intend to mitigate any negative consequences if the amendment is adopted.