BULAWAYO — The United Kingdom is set to launch a £500,000 programme aimed at ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Zimbabwe, as global and national data continue to highlight the scale and urgency of gender-based violence.
By Dickson Bandera
UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pete Vowles, will officially launch the initiative on Wednesday at Small City Hall in Bulawayo, on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) 2026. The programme is designed to strengthen collaboration between women’s organisations, civil society, and the private sector in developing community-driven responses to gender-based violence.
The launch will be followed by a media engagement session and a site visit to Emthonjeni Women’s Forum in Bulawayo.
A Global Crisis with Local Impact
The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent global concerns over violence against women and girls. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often at the hands of an intimate partner.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence remains particularly high, driven by structural inequalities, economic pressures, and entrenched social norms. Zimbabwe is no exception. National surveys and reports by UN agencies indicate that a significant proportion of women in the country have experienced some form of gender-based violence, with intimate partner violence being among the most commonly reported cases.
Women at the Centre of Zimbabwe’s Economy and Society
Women constitute the majority of Zimbabwe’s population and play a central role in both the formal and informal economy. They dominate key sectors such as agriculture, cross-border trade, retail, education, and community-based enterprises.
Despite their numerical and economic strength, women continue to face disproportionate exposure to violence, limited access to capital, and barriers to leadership opportunities.
The £500,000 UK-funded programme is expected to support grassroots organisations working directly with survivors of violence, strengthen reporting and referral systems, and promote prevention campaigns at community level.
Funding is seen as critical in addressing gaps in shelters, legal aid, psychosocial support, and awareness programmes. Many organisations working in the VAWG space in Zimbabwe remain under-resourced, despite increasing demand for services.
UK–Zimbabwe Cooperation Expands Beyond VAWG
The VAWG programme is part of a broader portfolio of UK support to Zimbabwe, which includes initiatives in health systems strengthening, climate resilience, agriculture productivity, governance reforms, and private sector development.
In recent years, UK-funded programmes have supported climate-smart agriculture projects, women’s economic empowerment initiatives, and public health interventions targeting vulnerable communities.
A group of Zimbabwean women recently participated in business exchange and trade facilitation programmes in the United Kingdom, where they explored export opportunities, branding strategies, and investment partnerships.
The initiative is part of growing efforts to position women-led enterprises within global value chains, particularly in textiles, crafts, agribusiness, and retail sectors.
Participants from these exchanges are expected to feed into ongoing empowerment programmes back home, strengthening linkages between Zimbabwean producers and international buyers.
Toward a Safer and More Inclusive Future
As Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to achieve inclusive development, stakeholders have emphasized that addressing violence against women and girls remains central to national progress.
For development partners, the focus is shifting from awareness alone to actionable, community-based interventions backed by sustainable funding and cross-sector collaboration.
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