Sida's work in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe faces major economic, social and humanitarian challenges. The democratic space is shrinking and human rights are being violated. Sida works with democracy, human rights, environment and climate, and to improve the population's ability to provide for themselves.
Why does Sida work in Zimbabwe?
Many people live in poverty
6 million people are estimated to live below the poverty line by 2022. Unemployment is high, especially among women and young people. The economic situation has long been unstable, with high inflation making it difficult for the population to make a living. Climate change adds further vulnerability. The drought in 2024 has left 7.6 million people food insecure, with women and children particularly vulnerable.
Democracy is in retreat
Defenders of democracy and human rights are vulnerable and increasingly less able to act. The political opposition is divided and has difficulty reaching the electorate. In addition, there are serious challenges regarding the independence of the judiciary, impunity and corruption, and some groups want to see a constitutional amendment to allow the president another term.
Women are particularly vulnerable
Human rights are increasingly less respected. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. Violence against women is common in both private and public settings. Child marriage, gender-based violence, sexual abuse, early pregnancy and unsafe abortion are common.
Examples of what Sida contributes to
Support to combat gender-based violence
Sida supports the Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign, which raises awareness of domestic violence. A wide range of social actors are involved in preventing domestic violence. So far, 187 perpetrators have become advocates against domestic violence and 77 cases of child marriage have been prosecuted.
Strengthening climate action and preserving biodiversity
Through DanChurchAid, Sida supports the conservation of biodiversity in the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe. The support protects the ecosystem through strong natural resource management in the area and strengthens the ability of local communities to co-exist with wildlife.
Increasing voter turnout
Sida’s support to the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has resulted in more than 4 million citizens being informed about the elections and 200,000 new people being registered in the biometric voter register. It has also strengthened the capacity of more than 270 civil society organisations to mobilize resources, influence authorities and reach out to the grassroots.
Sida’s development cooperation in Zimbabwe
In order to improve living conditions and alleviate poverty in Zimbabwe, Sida is involved in the following areas: Human rights, democracy, environment, climate and economic development.
Sida works to improve the conditions for democracy, reduce corruption and help ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The work has a particular focus on gender equality.
Many people in Zimbabwe cannot afford to pursue a legal process. Sida cooperates with the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), which provides legal support to those who cannot pursue their cases themselves. In addition, volunteers and residents are trained on how to enforce their rights, and it has been shown that participants have become more confident in asserting their rights.
Sida supports the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), which promotes free and fair elections. The network consists of 36 civil society organisations (women’s rights organisations, trade unions, human rights organisations, media, religious organisations). Since its inception in 2000, the network has been instrumental in increasing and improving election monitoring – for example by training and deploying its own local election observers. In addition to policy and advocacy work, the organisation also trains local organisations on election-related issues and journalists on election reporting.
Sida supports several projects to combat corruption. One example is the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), which strengthens state institutions in the field of human rights and increases co-operation between institutions. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has developed a national action plan to implement the country’s anti-corruption strategy, which was adopted in 2020. Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) is the driving force behind this work. TIZ also supports the government in strengthening the transparency and accountability of state institutions and combating corruption.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provides protection and support to children who are victims of violence and works to influence public opinion to combat child marriage and strengthen children’s rights. Its work also focuses on children with disabilities. A mobile service has enabled people living in remote areas to contact authorities to register newborn babies. During 2021, 3,500 children received birth certificates and 4,100 adults received national identity documents thanks to the mobile service.
Sida cooperates with PSI Zimbabwe on issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Sida supports the “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” campaign, which focuses on counteracting violence in close relationships. The campaign is primarily aimed at male perpetrators and by the end of 2022 had reached around 1.7 million unique individuals via mass media (radio, television) and almost 20 million via Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram. PSI also has a telephone line where women victims of violence can call for help and support.
Through a partnership with Diakonia, Sida is helping to increase transparency and accountability by strengthening citizens’ participation and influence over local government decision-making through increased interaction with those in power.
In the municipality of Bulawayo, residents highlighted allegations of corruption in municipal council procurement, where the mayor leased land at very low rents. Residents demanded that the council not lease the land and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) launched a corruption investigation. Residents also took the city council to court over contaminated tap water.
Sida supports various programmes to combat disinformation and fake news. One example is ZimFact, which produces fact sheets and articles on the use of public funds and gives people access to public information. ZimFact is now an important source of information and is widely used by various stakeholders.
About the work on the ZimFact website
Freedom of the press in Zimbabwe has deteriorated. Sida’s media support focuses on investigative journalism and training of journalists. Sida’s media partners are active in advocating for legal reforms and greater respect for press freedom in the country. In 2021, important progress was made in terms of new actors in broadcasting, including community radio, as a result of sustained advocacy efforts.
About International Media Supports (IMS) work in Zimbabwe on IMS website
The climate in Zimbabwe is extremely variable, with intermittent rainfall, droughts and floods exacerbated by climate change. Land degradation, deforestation and water shortage affect agriculture and food availability. Women and girls are most affected by food shortages. Sida works to increase the availability of renewable energy and to use energy more efficiently.
Sida contributes to strengthening resilience to climate change and using natural resources more sustainable. Here are examples of projects that Sida supports:
Mobility for Africa offers climate-friendly mobile solutions in rural areas through electric motorcycles. The solar-charged electric motorbike, Hamba, is specially adapted for off-road driving and has a large load capacity. The motorbike is used, among others, by women farmers who transport their products to sell them at markets. They are also used by taxi drivers, medical staff and the police.
Zimbabwe’s natural resources need to be managed more effectively. Sida supports the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), which works on natural resource management in collaboration with both local communities and authorities. ZELA also plays an important role in updating policies and regulations related to the environment and climate change.
About the work on natural resource management on the ZELA website
In Zimbabwe, 20% of rural households lack electricity compared to 40% in urban areas. Renewable Energy and Climate Change Technology is being implemented in collaboration with the organisation Power Africa to develop renewable energy solutions.
Through the Utariri programme implemented by DanChurchAid, Sida supports the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe. The programme protects a vulnerable ecosystem by strengthening the ability to use natural resources in a sustainable way. The project also focuses on promoting a safe and favourable coexistence between humans and wildlife and preventing the conflicts that arise in communities due to wildlife. Another important part of its work is to create conditions for economically and environmentally sustainable development in the area.
Zimbabwe’s economy has improved, but unemployment remains high, especially among women and young people. Poverty affects people in urban areas more than before due to reduced livelihoods and increased prices of essential goods. Agricultural productivity has benefited from the rainy season but is vulnerable to climate change, soil degradation and poor soils. The majority of the population does not have access to electricity.
Sida’s work helps to improve the livelihoods of people, especially women and young people. Here are some examples of the projects that Sida supports:
Through Mercy Corps’ Catalysing Economic Development and the Informal Sector (CEDIS) programme, Sida is supporting a project that improves income, working conditions and resilience to crises and stress for 30,000 vulnerable urban and rural women in Bulawayo, Mutare and Harare. Among other things, the women are supported to start micro-enterprises.
About Mercy Corps’ work in Zimbabwe on the organisation’s website
Sida is supporting several projects to secure access to food, increase employment and contribute to climate adaptation. Through SMHI’s collaboration with Oxfam’s Climate Change Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods Programme (CARL), rural households are converting to climate-adapted agriculture. They are becoming better at managing natural resources such as water, land, forests and energy through solar-powered pumps and irrigation, for example. Households have also received assistance in growing more crops, ensuring food security and increasing income. Girls and women are the primary focus.
A large proportion of young people are outside the labour market and have limited access to vocational training. Through Plan International’s Digital Skills for Youth programme, Sida is helping to strengthen young people’s economic empowerment. The initiative aims to give more young people access to work and income by supporting innovation centres and ICT hubs that focus on strengthening young people’s digital skills and contributing to entrepreneurship and innovation.
Updated: October 14, 2024