Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Zimbabwe

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) (Ratification: 1989)
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) (Ratification: 1999)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on equality, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine the Conventions Nos 100 (equal remuneration) and 111 (discrimination in employment and occupation) together.

The Committee notes the observations of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) received on 20 January 2022 affirming that, despite the legislation being in place, workers with disabilities and pregnant women face continuous discrimination due to weak enforcement of the Labour Act, exacerbated by an overburdened court system.

Convention No. 111 – National policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation

Articles 1 to 3. National policy for equality of opportunity and treatment. Persons with disability. The Committee notes that the Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2023, which seeks to confer on people living with disabilities rights and freedoms that are in line with the Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006, has been tabled before the Parliament in May 2024. In that regard, it observes that the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Zimbabwe 2022–2026 and the National Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-based Violence 2023–2030 underscore that women and girls with disabilities are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in Zimbabwe. The 2022–2026 DWCP indicates that the ILO will provide support to help technical and vocational education and training institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations and their members to address stigma and discrimination patterns that exist towards persons with disabilities. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) any measures taken to enhance the access of persons with disabilities (women in particular) to education, vocational training and employment and justice; (ii) the technical assistance provided by the ILO in that regard; and (iii) any progress made with regard to the adoption of the Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2023.

National policy for equality of opportunity and treatment. Migrant workers. The Committee notes that, according to the 2022–2026 DWCP, migrant workers often find themselves in situations of vulnerability at work and that one of its objectives is to ensure that migrant workers effectively benefit from existing measures, strategies, policies, and mechanisms to protect their labour rights. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on any measures taken to ensure that migrant workers are protected against discrimination based on the prohibited grounds of the Convention and enjoy equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation.

National policy of equality of opportunity and treatment irrespective of sex. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government regarding women’s labour force participation in the country (private and public sector). It notes in particular that, according to the 2024 third quarter Labour Force Survey report, women’s labour force participation stood at 36.8 per cent. The Government indicates inter alia that: (1) since 2021, effort has been placed on the implementation of the National Gender Policy by progressively increasing the budget allocated to gender-focused programmes and gender-responsive initiatives under the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; (2) Gender Directorates, which have been created in all ministries are responsible for coordinating gender issues in the respective ministries; (3) the Women Development Fund funded 185 women-led projects; (4) the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB) awarded 101,737 loans; and (5) the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO), and the Youth Empower Bank awarded specific allocations to women. The Government also indicates that the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1) 2021–2025: (1) aims at promoting gender equality and ensuring equal opportunities and treatment for both women and men; (2) addresses gender mainstreaming as a core strategy to integrate gender perspectives into all policies and programmes with a view to ensuring that women and men benefit equally from development initiatives; and (3) includes measures to facilitate access to financing for women in business and support women empowerment programmes.

Public sector. The Government reports that, among other initiatives taken in 2023, it adopted the National Women in Leadership and Decision-Making Strategy, which focuses on women’s participation in politics at national level and the public sector in particular. The Committee notes that, according to the Public Service Academy’s statistics, the proportion of women benefiting from training and development opportunities in the public sector increased from 46 per cent in 2023 to 57 per cent in the first half of 2024; and the adoption of a deliberate directive with a view to ensuring that there are adequate resources for programming gender equality initiatives. The Committee welcomes the Government’s indication that the Public Service Commission has adopted a deliberate directive to ensure that recruitment and promotion are gender balanced. It however observes that, in 2023, for the main part, members of parastatals’ boards were men.

The Committee asks the Government to: (i) continue to provide information on measure taken with a view to promoting and realizing the equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women in the private and public sector, including the results of the NDS 1 (2021–2025); and (ii) monitor its progress in increasing women’s access to decision-making position throughout the public sector to attain equal representation in all institutions and agencies of government at every level, as provided for in Section 17(1)(b)(i) of the Constitution.

Sexual harassment. The Committee acknowledges the Government’s efforts to combat workplace sexual harassment through legal reforms and policy initiatives. Key measures include: (1) the 2023 Labour Amendment Act, which prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, allows victims to pursue both legal and criminal action, and imposes penalties such as fines, imprisonment, or dismissal; and (2) the formulation of a national strategy (2021–25) to eliminate sexual harassment and gender-based violence, focusing on formal workplaces and prioritizing the protection of women. The Committee notes however that the Government recognizes that enforcement remains difficult in the informal economy, prompting collaboration with NGOs and international partners. Additionally, the Committee notes with interest that the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has worked to raise awareness and investigate issues in Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions (HTEIs), where underreporting is common due to cultural stigma and fear of retaliation. To address this, a Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy for HTEIs has been created and was set to launch in 2024. Additionally, anti-harassment campaigns have been held across HTEIs, and the Public Service Commission introduced a policy in 2022 to foster safer public workplaces. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information: (i) on any other awareness-raising activities, information campaigns and measures taken to prevent and address sexual harassment in workplaces, in particular in the informal economy, as well as the results of the application of the Strategy for the Elimination of Sexual Harassment and Gender-based Violence in the Workplace (2021–2025); and (ii) on the number of sexual harassment complaints lodged, penalties imposed and compensation awarded. Please also provide samples of anti-sexual harassment policies developed in HTEIs and information on their application in practice.

Access to employment and occupation. The Committee acknowledges the positive steps by the Government to improve women’s access to employment and education, particularly through programmes that support economically vulnerable girls, promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) enrolment among women, and offer skills training in marginalized areas. Female enrolment in higher and tertiary education institutions (HTEIs) has grown, with women now making up 56.6 per cent of enrolments and nearly half of STEM students. However, despite these efforts, significant gender disparities persist – especially in rural areas – where women and girls face higher rates of exclusion from education and employment. Labour statistics highlight that rural female labour force participation remains low (26.9 per cent), and a large proportion of young women are not in education, employment, or training. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of: (i) measures taken to enhance access of girls and women to education, vocational training and employment, such as the youth and women affirmative action, placing a special focus on girls and women from disadvantaged families, or living in marginalized or rural areas; and (ii) the progress of girls and women’s enrolment in education and vocational training in areas traditionally dominated by men.

Convention No. 100 – Principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value

Articles 1 to 3. Application of the principle of equal remuneration. Collective bargaining. The Committee asks the Government to: (i) take specific steps to raise the awareness of the employers’ and workers’ organizations regarding the issue of wage disparities between men and women and how they can be reduced, for example through objective job evaluations; (ii) encourage social partners to address the issue of equal remuneration for men and women, including through the inclusion of specific provisions in collective agreements; and (iii) provide information on the measures taken to this effect.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation mechanisms. The Government informs the Committee that the Public Service has undertaken an objective job evaluation exercise which focused on the duties of the jobs and whose findings were then used for grading jobs across the public service on the basis of the Patterson job evaluation system. The findings of the job evaluation exercise are currently under consideration at the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL). It adds that it encourages the private sector to implement objective job evaluation methods, particularly through the use of the Patterson system, and that, in sectors where this system does not apply, National Employment Councils are mandated to come up with minimum wages. The Committee asks the Government to indicate: (i) how the Patterson job evaluation system ensures that biases and stereotypes that lead to the undervaluation of predominantly female roles are avoided in practice; (ii) the Cabinet Committee on Legislation’s decision regarding the findings of the job evaluation exercise conducted in the public service; and (iii) the progress achieved in implementing job evaluation methods within the private sector.

Conventions Nos 100 and 111 – Application in practice

Awareness-raising. Convention No. 100. Noting the general nature of the information provided,the Committeeasks the Government to provide detailed information on any specific measures taken or envisaged to raise public awareness of the principle of the Convention.

Enforcement. Conventions Nos 100 and 111. The Government reports that a total number of 5,943 inspections were carried out between January 2023 and June 2024 but that, so far, no cases have been reported regarding inequality of remuneration for work of equal value between men and women. The Committee requests the Government to continue monitoring and reporting any cases of discrimination in employment and occupation, including instances of unequal remuneration between men and women for work of equal value, that are detected or reported to the competent authorities (such as the labour inspectorate, the ZGC, the Human Rights Commission, and the courts), along with information on the outcomes of such cases. Additionally, the Committee asks the Government to indicate whether any new training activities have been implemented to strengthen the capacity of labour inspectors and magistrates to identify and address unequal pay cases (including discrimination faced by pregnant women and persons with disabilities).

Statistics. Convention No. 100. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that, due to the implementation of the Paterson grading system, no gender pay gap exist and, consequently, no data on earnings differentials between men and women is available. In this regard, the Committee wishes to recall that, while objective job evaluation systems can help ensure that work of equal value is remunerated equally, they do not, on their own, eliminate gender pay gaps. Horizontal and vertical occupational segregation – where women are concentrated in lower-paying roles or positions with limited advancement opportunities – continues to be a key factor contributing to pay inequality. The Committee thus welcomes the Government’s indication that a master plan has been developed to enhance the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which will include the monitoring of gender disparities in the labour market. The Committee hopes that the development of the LMIS will allow the Government to collect, process and analyse statistical data on earning differentials between men and women in the various sectors and categories of employment, as well as any data available, that show the nature, extent and evolution of the occupational gender segregation. The Committee asks the Government to provide information in this regard.