Zimbabwe’s Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, has spotlighted the country’s success in advancing gender-responsive public finance during a high-level panel at the 4th Finance for Development Conference, hosted in Sevilla, Spain.
The event, held on the sidelines of the UNDP’s side session themed “Public Finance for Gender Equality: A Collective Commitment”, brought together gender ministers and policymakers to explore strategies that embed gender equity into fiscal frameworks.
In her address, Hon. Mutsvangwa underscored Zimbabwe’s implementation of a Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) framework, a policy that has systematically integrated gender considerations across all phases of the national budget process.
“Every line ministry in Zimbabwe now adheres to GRB guidelines issued by the Ministry of Finance. This ensures that spending decisions reflect the needs and priorities of both women and men,” she said.
Since the introduction of GRB, Zimbabwe has issued annual Gender Budget Statements, and public finance allocations have shifted significantly in favour of women’s development initiatives. In the 2025 national budget, for instance, Z196.9 billion was set aside for programmes supporting women and girls.
Hon. Mutsvangwa also celebrated the role of the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, established in 2018 to advance financial inclusion. The bank offers collateral-free, low-interest loans and financial literacy training to women—especially those leading small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Women now make up 56% of all SMEs in Zimbabwe, a figure that reflects the bank’s growing impact.
Zimbabwe’s GRB framework has shown tangible outcomes. The country’s Gender Development Index (GDI) improved from 0.929 in 2019 to 0.944 in 2023, while its Gender Inequality Index ranking climbed by over 10 positions to 110 out of 149 by March 2024.
Free sanitary wear distribution to schoolgirls has expanded, with beneficiaries expected to rise from 1.2 million in 2023 to 1.45 million in 2025.
“Gender equality is not just a moral imperative—it is a driver of economic growth,” the minister said, adding, “A country cannot fully develop while leaving half its population behind.”
The conference took place against a backdrop of declining global development assistance, with a 43% drop in humanitarian aid reported. The UN estimates a $4.3 trillion gap in funding needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Assistant Secretary-General, highlighted this disparity, comparing global military spending—also estimated at $4.3 trillion—to the 119 million girls who remained out of school in 2023. She referred to this contrast as emblematic of the “feminisation of poverty”.
Hon. Mutsvangwa announced that Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and supported by UNDP and UN Women, is developing a comprehensive gender policy to institutionalise gender-responsive public finance across all sectors.
Key components of the policy include:
Expanding gender impact assessments of public spending and taxation
Strengthening data collection and use of sex-disaggregated statistics
Rolling out a gender equality seal for public institutions
Embedding accountability frameworks into fiscal planning
“What can’t be measured can’t be monitored. Evidence-based policymaking is essential for real impact,” she noted.
In a closing appeal to fellow governments, Mutsvangwa argued that gender-responsive budgeting should be viewed not as an optional add-on but as an essential macroeconomic strategy.
“With women comprising 52% of Zimbabwe’s population and 56% of SMEs, empowering them directly contributes to national productivity, better governance, and poverty reduction. GRB is not just the right thing to do—it’s smart economics,” she said.
As the global community works to close the SDG financing gap, Zimbabwe’s experience offers a replicable model of how public finance can be harnessed to accelerate gender equality and inclusive growth.
