By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE – 2 December , 2025 – A coalition of trade unions and civil society organizations sounded a national alarm on Saturday, revealing that gender-based violence (GBV) costs Zimbabwe a staggering USD $1.36 billion annually—nearly 4% of the country’s GDP—while issuing urgent demands for workplace reforms to combat a parallel epidemic of technology-facilitated abuse.
The stark economic revelation headlined the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Manicaland’s commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, held under the theme “Her Rights, Her Space, Her Voice – Online and Offline.”
The forum painted a dire portrait of a nation grappling with pervasive physical and sexual violence now supercharged by digital platforms, with new data showing 39.4% of women aged 15-49 experienced physical violence in the past year and 11.6% endured sexual violence in 2024.
“Digital violence is a significant and growing concern in Zimbabwe, excessively affecting women, journalists and political activists,” stated a keynote address delivered on behalf of ZCTU President Florence Mucha Taruvinga.
The address cited alarming studies indicating over 75% of female university students have faced cyber harassment, while 63% of women journalists have been targeted by technology-facilitated GBV.
“Online abuse often pushes women out of digital and public spaces, diminishing their participation and threatening freedom of expression,” the statement continued.
The economic analysis, presented by Eddy Ziyera, directly linked this violence to a crippling macroeconomic burden. The USD $1.36 billion annual cost encompasses healthcare for survivors, lost productivity, and intergenerational impacts.
Ziyera argued that male engagement is a critical economic intervention, promoting the “Manicaland Model” of “Positive Masculinity” pioneered by Padare as a viable solution.
This call was amplified by ZIMSET, which declared, “MEN MUST BE PART OF THE SOLUTION,” and redefined allyship by stating, “Real masculinity is not violence. Real strength is not domination.”
The most direct challenge to corporate Zimbabwe came from the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Workers Union (ZIDAWU), which declared “Digital Violence is Real Violence” in the workplace.
The union issued a four-point mandate to employers: immediately develop policies against online harassment, implement mandatory employee training, establish confidential reporting mechanisms, and provide comprehensive survivor support including counselling and legal aid.
“Together, we can create a world where every woman and girl can live free from fear, violence, and harassment,” the ZIDAWU representative, Patricia Chibato stated.
The youth perspective was powerfully delivered by Tatenda Dutiro of the Manica Youth Assembly (MAYA), who highlighted cyberbullying as a rampant threat to young Zimbabweans.
“Our generation lives online, and so does the harassment,” the MAYA representative stated, calling for urgent digital literacy programs and safer online platforms to protect young women and girls from coercion, image-based abuse, and psychological torment.
Civil society voices underscored the intersectional nature of the crisis. Sibongile Mtetwa of the Msasa Project warned, “Many people are killing themselves because of being trolled online,” while Moleen Chipoyi of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe detailed the economic blackmail and sexual exploitation faced by women in the informal sector at border posts.
Rutendo Makamure of Tariro Foundation advocated for women and girls with disabilities, a group she described as particularly vulnerable and overlooked.
The forum culminated in a unified list of non-negotiable demands directed at policymakers and employers. Top priorities include the immediate ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 190 (C190), the robust implementation of the Cyber and Data Protection Act, and the integration of explicit anti-digital violence clauses into all collective bargaining agreements.
Rumbidzai D. Chinyati, representing the Ministry of Labour, framed the issue as one of national productivity, affirming, “where there is peace, there is progress in the workplace.”
The gathering in Mutare has positioned the fight against GBV not merely as a social or human rights issue, but as an urgent economic and industrial priority for Zimbabwe, demanding a unified response from government, corporations, and citizens alike.