The Women and Youth Inclusion for Equality (WYI4E) program promotes gender equality and youth empowerment by strengthening and amplifying their voices in political and civic life to create a more inclusive and representative society.

Why women and youth need to be supported in leadership and participation

Although they make up more than half of Zimbabwe’s population, women and youth have little chance to participate in local and national political and societal decision-making processes. This severely limits their ability to claim their rights, enjoy equal opportunities, and become leaders and agents of change.

How we’re supporting women and youth in leadership

WYI4E closely works with women and youth to improve how they articulate and voice their ideas and defend and promote their interests. The program targets women and youth who are most marginalized. It also strengthens the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and community based organizations (CBOs) that advocate for the rights of women and youth leadership and participation. This includes providing training and support to women and youth leaders, as well as advocating for policies and initiatives that promote gender equality and youth empowerment.

Selection of results

  • The program helped increase the participation of women and youth in the 2023 Harmonized Elections in Zimbabwe. Voter registration numbers show a total of 3,551,997 women registered, accounting for 53.7% of the voters, and 2,563,075 youth registered aged between 18 and 35.
  • Program activities also helped broaden youth understanding of and engagement in electoral processes. The 2023 elections saw a significant jump in youth representation, with 35 youth candidates elected into the National Assembly, representing 16.66% of the total seats. Of these, 22 were men and 13 were women.
  • The program conducted voter education campaigns in Seke, Gutu, and Hwange, Zimbabwe, reaching close to 10,000 individuals.
  • The program’s digital safety and security sessions trained 30 young women in Seke in digital safety, cybersecurity, and the legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding these issues in Zimbabwe.

Where

Zimbabwe

Period and budget

2022 – 2024, € 1.1 million

Partners

Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT), Gender Links, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCOZ)

Donors

European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe and the Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria