[{"bbox": [97, 152, 1133, 207], "category": "Text", "text": "feminisation of poverty and lack of economic security among women; and insufficient implementation of GBV laws and policies among other factors.⁶"}, {"bbox": [97, 207, 1133, 260], "category": "Text", "text": "The legal and policy framework supporting gender equality and women's rights in Zimbabwe is robust, yet the mechanisms necessary to bring about real change are lacking. Key challenges include:"}, {"bbox": [135, 287, 1133, 342], "category": "List-item", "text": "1. **Inadequate knowledge and understanding among responsible duty-bearers** of how to effectively implement gender equality policies within their spheres of work."}, {"bbox": [135, 342, 1133, 418], "category": "List-item", "text": "2. **Lack of accountability measures:** The absence of specific performance indicators and audits for gender equality undermines accountability. This includes also lack of data disaggregated by women and girls with disabilities"}, {"bbox": [135, 420, 1133, 475], "category": "List-item", "text": "3. **Patriarchal governance structures:** A significant underrepresentation of women in power and leadership positions perpetuates patriarchal decision-making processes."}, {"bbox": [135, 474, 1133, 581], "category": "List-item", "text": "4. **Under-financing:** Critical institutions tasked with advancing the gender equality agenda receive insufficient funding, as illustrated by the consistently low budget allocations to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Development (where the Department of Disability Affairs sits)."}, {"bbox": [135, 581, 1133, 660], "category": "List-item", "text": "5. **Capacity gaps:** There are notable deficiencies in gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive budgeting, and understanding intersectionality, leading to approaches that overlook gender, disability, urban/rural divide, ethnicity considerations."}, {"bbox": [135, 660, 1133, 741], "category": "List-item", "text": "6. **Data unavailability:** The scarcity of public and accessible data on gender inequalities and violations of women's rights, including on intersectional discriminations, hampers efforts towards national development."}, {"bbox": [97, 767, 1133, 903], "category": "Text", "text": "Women's economic empowerment is critically undermined by their marginalization in the economy, particularly through dominance in the informal sector, limited financial inclusion, lower educational enrolment of girls with disabilities, and restricted access to critical economic resources and decision-making spaces. The business environment lacks provisions that specifically recognize or support small, medium, or women-owned businesses, placing an undue burden on these enterprises."}, {"bbox": [97, 929, 1133, 1113], "category": "Text", "text": "The FinScope Survey of 2022 highlights that while women constitute 54% of the population and own 60% of MSMEs, they are predominantly involved in micro enterprises. The sectors most impacted include agriculture, retail, and services. Moreover, the recently approved National Financial Inclusion Strategy II (NFIS II) by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) acknowledges the disproportionate exclusion of women from quality financial services. It sets a commitment to gender-inclusive financing, recognizing that while barriers to financial services may be universal, their impact is more severe on women, particularly women with disabilities, due to socio-cultural biases."}, {"bbox": [97, 1145, 1133, 1253], "category": "Text", "text": "Barriers to financial inclusion for women include low financial literacy, particularly digital literacy, affordability, accessibility and cost of financial products, credit barriers such as lack of history and collateral, and general high levels of poverty. Without access to credit, women often remain trapped in low-income generating activities within the informal economy, which are characterized by easy entry requirements but limited growth potential."}, {"bbox": [97, 1280, 1133, 1361], "category": "Text", "text": "A strategic focus on skills development is identified as crucial for empowering women economically. Enhancing women's skills increases their productivity, employability, and income, necessitating a comprehensive approach that includes both technical and soft skills training."}, {"bbox": [97, 1388, 1133, 1470], "category": "Text", "text": "Women's rights organisations, including organisations working on disability rights, in the country lack the capacity and adequate financial resources to carry forward their mandate. The provision of GBV services relies heavily on CSOs due to inadequate financing by the State budget."}, {"bbox": [85, 1620, 696, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ zimbabwe_national_gbv_strategy_2023_to_2030.pdf (unfpa.org)"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 29"}]