recent hike in fees for those who want to contest for public office are also prohibitive for many
women and other vulnerable groups.
Sustainable Development Goal number 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women
and girls. Additionally, it is a prerequisite for accomplishing every goal in the 2030 Sustainable
Development Plan. Gender Equality is essential in all aspects as enshrined in Section 56 of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe, that states that women and men have the right to equal treatment,
including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres. Every
citizen should respect and promote human rights and freedoms as expected according to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
ZPP monitors socio-economic rights through a human rights lens and notes with concern how low
levels of general education are a major barrier to achieving gender equality in technology. The
United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 sustainable development goal number 4 advocates for inclusive
and equitable quality education which promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. This is in
line with the national legislative framework in Zimbabwe through Section 75 of the Zimbabwe
Constitution which states that, ‘every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to
basic state-funded education, including adult basic education’. However, the government has not
done enough to realize the goal of provision of basic state-funded education and this is bound to
have a negative long-term impact especially on young girls.
As the year 2023 started, ZPP recorded a significant number of cases in which young girls from
different communities including Silobela, Dangamvura/Chikanga and Mazowe South, were denied
entry in school premises by the school authorities for non-payment of school fees. Without
inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, it is difficult to achieve
gender equality in technology and break the cycle of poverty, among other socio-economic targets.
Poverty is a major barrier as female students in particular do not have resources and are dependent
on parents and/or partners who have patriarchal beliefs that discriminate and exclude the needs of
the girl child. This has resulted in female students particularly those in rural areas being forced
into child sexual abuse and exploitation disguised as ‘early child marriage’ and their male
counterparts being sent to school. In rural areas where the infrastructure is not disability friendly
those with disabilities particularly those in wheelchairs find most schools inaccessible schools and