ZCTU urges urgent action on persistent gender inequalities affecting women workers

ZCTU Secretary General Tirivanhu Marimo

HARARE — The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has called on policymakers to treat entrenched gender inequalities with urgency, warning that legal protections for women are being undermined and that economic injustice remains widespread across sectors.

ZCTU Secretary General Tirivanhu Marimo delivered the keynote address at a workers’ event marking the belated 2026 International Women’s Day, held under the theme Give Opportunities, Gain Equality: Advancing Women’s Economic Justice. Marimo said progress to date is insufficient and urged coordinated policy and enforcement measures to protect women’s rights at work.

Marimo highlighted that women are disproportionately employed in casual, seasonal and informal roles, leaving them without job security, formal contracts, or social protections. In agriculture, female workers frequently earn significantly less than men, in some cases, only two‑thirds of male wages, and many are not registered with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), denying them access to pensions and maternity benefits.

He also pointed to widespread lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and exposure to hazardous pesticides for female farmworkers, and said sexual harassment remains underreported because victims lack legal recourse and face hostile work environments.

Marimo described the “double burden” faced by many women who combine long hours of productive labour with unpaid reproductive work such as cooking, cleaning, and caregiving. He said many women work 16 to 18 hours a day, and that economic stress from drought and low incomes has been linked to rising domestic violence and the withdrawal of girls from school — sometimes resulting in early marriage as a coping strategy.

“These problems are solvable if we commit to better working conditions, stronger enforcement, and social protection for women,” Marimo said.

The ZCTU urged policymakers to prioritise:

• Formalisation of women’s work and enforcement of equal pay;

• Mandatory NSSA registration for all workers to secure pensions and maternity protection.

• Stronger workplace protections, including PPE provision and clear mechanisms to report and prosecute sexual harassment.

• Social support measures to reduce the unpaid care burden and protect girls’ education during economic shocks.

Marimo called for collaboration between government, employers, unions, and civil society to translate legal guarantees into practical protections on the ground.

Advocates will monitor whether the government and employers adopt concrete reforms, increase labour inspections, and fund social programmes that reduce the vulnerability of women workers, especially in rural and agricultural communities.

ZCTU on persistent gender inequalities affecting women workers