UN in Zimbabwe to investigate women, girl rights situation

The United Nations Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls will be visiting Zimbabwe from June 28 to July 8, 2025, as part of its global mission to assess the state of rights, protections, and challenges facing women and girls in member states.

The visit was confirmed in a statement issued on June 13 by Fiona Adolu, Senior Human Rights Advisor at the United Nations Zimbabwe office. The group is expected to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to gather input on legal, social, cultural, and economic barriers affecting women and girls across the country.

"The mission is to gain first-hand understanding of the challenges facing women and girls in Zimbabwe, including those related to legal, social, economic, and cultural discrimination," the statement read.

Inputs from stakeholders were to be submitted ahead of the mission, with a deadline set for June 13, 2025. The group welcomed submissions on cross-cutting issues including - but not limited to - gender-based violence, poverty, access to justice, education, migration, racism, and socioeconomic inequality.

Of particular interest to the Working Group are the lived experiences of women and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as those with disabilities, individuals in rural or indigenous communities, LBTIQ+ persons, refugees, and survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Working Group will issue a public statement summarising their preliminary findings. A comprehensive report with recommendations will be presented to the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The UN Working Group typically conducts two to three country visits each year, following official invitations from host governments. These missions often lead to in-depth reports that inform international advocacy and drive legal and policy reforms in the countries visited.

In previous years, the Working Group has visited countries such as Thailand and the Dominican Republic (2024), Kyrgyzstan (2022), Mauritania (2023), and Romania (2020).

The Zimbabwe visit is expected to shine a spotlight on the country’s progress and gaps in gender equality, providing an opportunity for civil society, government institutions, and affected communities to shape future reforms.