ZIMBABWE is witnessing a worrying surge in gender-based violence (GBV), with women and girls bearing the brunt of abuse in homes, workplaces and public spaces, a trend that has alarmed rights groups, health experts and community leaders.
According to recent data from SIVIO Institute, there has been a sharp increase in physical, emotional, sexual and economic violence cases reported in 2025, with many going unreported due to fear, stigma or lack of access to support services.
SIVIO Institute founder and executive director Tendai Murisa revealed the appalling statistics at the official launch of We Are One Fund, the organisation’s brainchild, which aims to seek donations for victims of gender-based violence.
“Gender-based violence numbers, particularly in Zimbabwe, have increased. We have noticed that one in four women are going to experience gender-based violence of one form or the other in their lifetime,” he said.
“The statistics themselves are not showing favourable signs in response to certain types of violence. Sexual violence in particular, you will find that there is a low conviction rate.
“Then we also noticed that the organisations responding to cases of gender-based violence, despite the healthy numbers of the organisations, they are all facing challenges of different sorts.”
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Murisa said under-funding riled several non-governmental organisations, resulting in victims suffering in unfit shelters.
“The first challenge, which is what we are trying to respond to, is the challenge of funding. For all of you, you may know that we have been reliant on the global north countries, we have been reliant on partners in terms of funding,” he said.
“We have been reliant on this space, starting with the NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] funds, USAid [United States Agency for International Development] and then many other EU countries, global north countries, announced that they are making some cuts.”
Safety shelters for GBV victims were reported to be also underfunded, resulting in poor and/or less resources affecting those who come with their children.
“Most of our shelters are actually underfunded. They do not have enough facilities, they do not have enough beds, they do not have enough facilities, even just enough food,” Murisa said.
“Especially for those who are coming with children, they then do not necessarily have the funds to make sure that children continue their education.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association executive director Abigail Matsvayi said the number of victims accessing legal services was decreasing as a result of limited shelters.
“These are some of the challenges that we see on a day to day basis. As well on average you will find that in any given year you are looking at us supporting more than 10 000 women across the country,” she said.
“This is a drop in the ocean compared to all those who need legal support services, but perhaps we are not accessing these, because either they are far from the centres or they are in areas that we are not able to reach.”
In its recent report, SIVIO noted that over 200 domestic abuse cases are reported each month to Emthonjeni Women’s Forum (EWF), one of SIVIO’s frontline partners.
“More than 200 domestic abuse cases are reported to EWF every month, each one representing a woman living in fear, shame and silence at the hands of someone she once trusted,” it said.
“For many survivors, the violence does not end when physical wounds heal. The emotional, economic and psychological scars linger, making escape feel impossible.”
SIVIO Institute launched the We Are One Fund to address challenges faced by victims, through donor funding in monetary or kind form.