“IF you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”
The famous remark by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher may sound like a quip, but it captures a reality that continues to play out across the world: women are proving their capability in every sphere — often despite structural barriers that still stand firmly in their way.
Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Women’s Day, 115 years after the first global celebration recognising the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
But the day is meant to be more than a celebration. It is also a moment for reflection — an opportunity to assess how far the world has come in advancing women’s rights and how far it still has to go.
According to the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2025 report by UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, some progress has indeed been made. Over the past five years, 99 legal reforms have been introduced globally to remove discriminatory laws and strengthen legislative frameworks aimed at promoting gender equality.
Yet the pace of change remains painfully slow.
Only 38 countries have set 18 as the minimum age for marriage without exception, while just 63 countries have rape laws based on the absence of consent. These figures highlight how deeply gender inequality remains embedded in legal and social systems around the world.
Women also remain underrepresented in leadership positions. Globally, they hold just 30% of managerial roles and at the current pace of progress, achieving gender parity in management could take close to a century.
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Economic disparities are equally troubling. Female extreme poverty has hovered around 10% since 2020. If current trends continue, more than 351 million women and girls could still be living in extreme poverty by 2030.
These global realities resonate strongly in Zimbabwe.
Here, one in three girls marries before the age of 18 — a sobering statistic that reflects the continuing vulnerability of young girls, particularly in marginalised communities.
Child marriages — especially within some apostolic sects — remain a stain on the nation’s conscience. The tragic death of 14-year-old Memory Machaya during childbirth at a church shrine in Marange in 2021 exposed a scourge that society had ignored for far too long.
The outrage that followed her death created expectations of decisive action. Yet reports suggest that the practice has not entirely disappeared, raising uncomfortable questions about the country’s commitment to protecting its most vulnerable girls.
Gender inequality also persists in the workplace. Women — and even students on attachment — sometimes remain vulnerable to abuse by those in positions of authority. The case involving former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries chief executive Farai Zizhou, whose property was auctioned after failing to pay US$180 000 in damages for sexually harassing a female subordinate, illustrates the disturbing abuse of power that can still occur.
The real question, however, is not whether Zimbabwe has the legal tools to combat discrimination.
It does.
Zimbabwe is party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted locally in 1991. It has endorsed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,
ratified the African Charter’s protocol on the rights of women and committed to several international conventions aimed at eliminating discrimination.
Domestically, the Constitution is clear. The Bill of Rights recognises that men and women are entitled to equal treatment and equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.
The challenge, therefore, is not the absence of laws — it is the failure to enforce them consistently and fearlessly.
True gender equality cannot exist on paper alone. It must be reflected in classrooms where girls are encouraged to dream beyond early marriage, in workplaces where women are safe from harassment, and in communities where cultural practices do not override human rights.
International Women’s Day should never become a ritual of speeches and slogans. Until every girl is free to grow, learn and live without fear of discrimination or exploitation, the promise of gender equality will remain unfulfilled.
