Strengthening Women’s Rights Organizations in Zimbabwe
Sustaining Civic Space Under Pressure
Published December 2025
In 2025, Zimbabwe enacted new amendments to its Private Voluntary Organizations Act, expanding government oversight and tightening registration requirements. The new rules introduced complex procedures and significant penalties, including fines, suspension, and potential imprisonment. Many organizations were unsure how to comply. For women’s rights organizations — many of them small and volunteer-run — the risk was immediate: failure to register could mean criminal liability.
To address this challenge, ICNL supported Women and Law in Southern Africa – Zimbabwe (WLSA) to help women’s rights organizations navigate the fast-changing legal landscape. WLSA trained 30 women-led organizations, helping them assess compliance gaps, submit registrations and strengthen internal governance. WLSA also established a help desk and hotline to provide legal guidance and counter misinformation.
The results were significant: 80% of participants reported greater confidence in understanding legal requirements, and all 30 organizations had either successfully registered or strengthened compliance systems. By providing practical, rights-based solutions, ICNL and WLSA ensured that women’s organizations could remain operational and effective, even under restrictive new laws.
“We started the registration process and successfully submitted all required documents. We now have an official file with the PVO Board — an important milestone that gives our organization a formal place within the system.”
– Florence Mutake, Director, Asibambane Girls & Young Women Empowerment Network Trust
Photo: iStock/dmbaker
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