Zimbabwe
Senate
-
Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
View field in the data dictionary -
Presidential-Parliamentary
-
Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
View field in the data dictionary -
Bicameral
-
IPU membership
Current membership status
View field in the data dictionary -
Yes
Data on women
Information on the current and historical representation of women in the parliament. Consult the 'Elections' tab to see how women have fared in elections or renewals.
Current representation
Women's representation in the current parliament or chamber
-
Current number of members
Number of members who currently hold seats in parliament. May be lower or higher than the statutory number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
71
-
Women
The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
View field in the data dictionary -
35
-
Percentage of women
Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
49.3%
Speaker
- Speaker
-
Mabel M. Chinomona (Female)
Date of birth: 21 Jan 1958 - Additional information
-
Elected on 11 Sep. 2018, re-elected on 8 Sep. 2023.
Secretary general
No information available
Chairs of specialized bodies
| Specialized body | Theme | Name | Sex | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic Committee on Gender and Development | Gender equality | S. Ncube | Female | - |
Data on age at the start of the legislature
Number of members, by age
| 18 - 20 | 21 - 30 | 31 - 40 | 41 - 45 | 46 - 50 | 51 - 60 | 61 - 70 | 71 - 80 | 81 - 90 | 91 and over | Totals per gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | No information available | ||||||||||
| Female | |||||||||||
| Total <= 45: - | Total >= 46: - | ||||||||||
| Age at the last election or renewal | Overall | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - |
Reserved seats and quotas
-
There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
Reserved seats are a means to ensure the parliamentary representation of certain groups in society.
View field in the data dictionary -
Yes
Notes:
Two seats in the 80-member Senate are reserved for persons with disabilities (one for a male and one for a female representative). They are to be elected by the Electoral College for Persons with a Disability.
Source:
Article 120 (1) (d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 2) Act, 2021. The law was adopted by the National Assembly on 20 April 2021, and by the Senate on 4 May 2021. It was enacted by the President of the Republic, and entered into force on 7 May 2021. Articles 45 and 45A of the Electoral Amendment Act, 2023 entered into force on 19 July 2023.
-
Electoral quota for women
Quotas to promote gender-balanced representation in parliament
View field in the data dictionary -
Yes
Notes: Each list of candidates submitted by political parties for the Senate must list candidates of both genders alternately. Every list must be led by a female candidate.
Sources: Articles 120 (1) (a) and (2) (b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 2) Act, 2021. The law was adopted by the National Assembly on 20 April 2021, and by the Senate on 4 May 2021. It was enacted by the President of the Republic, and entered into force on 7 May 2021.
First woman in parliament
-
Year of first woman in parliament
Year in which the first woman entered parliament
View field in the data dictionary -
1980
First woman speaker
-
Year of first woman speaker
Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
View field in the data dictionary -
2005
Women’s suffrage
-
Date of independence
For countries that become independent after 1940.
View field in the data dictionary -
1980
-
Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
No information available
-
Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
Restricted
-
Detail of restrictions
Suffrage: Restrictions detail
View field in the data dictionary -
European men and women only
-
Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1957
-
Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
Restricted
-
Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1980
-
Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
Universal
Notes: Prior to independence, women were granted the right to vote under the following restrictions: Between 1919 and 1957, only men and European women could vote. In 1957, a qualified right to vote was extended to black married women. A wife was deemed to have the same means of qualifications as her husband, but in the case of a polygamous marriage, this privilege only applied to the first wife. Wives were required to have literacy in English and any educational qualifications in their own right. In order to be registered as a general voter, a person had to have one of four alternative qualifications: (i) income of £ 720 per annum or ownership or immovable property valued at £ 1,500; (ii) income of £ 3,480 per annum or ownership of immovable property valued at £ 1,000 plus the completion of a primary course of education of prescribed standard; (iii) being a minister of religion, who had undergone certain stipulated training and periods of service in the Ministry and who followed no other profession, trade or gainful occupation; (iv) being a chief as defined in the Act.
-
Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election. More than one year may be displayed based on the status of the right: restricted or universal and shifts to the status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1980
-
Restricted or universal
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
Universal
Notes: Prior to independence, women were granted the right to vote and stand for election under the following restrictions: Between 1919 and 1957, only men and European women could vote. In 1957, a qualified right to vote was extended to black married women. A wife was deemed to have the same means of qualifications as her husband, but in the case of a polygamous marriage, this privilege only applied to the first wife. Wives were required to have literacy in English and any educational qualifications in their own right. In order to be registered as a general voter, a person had to have one of four alternative qualifications: (i) income of £ 720 per annum or ownership or immovable property valued at £ 1,500; (ii) income of £ 3,480 per annum or ownership of immovable property valued at £ 1,000 plus the completion of a primary course of education of prescribed standard; (iii) being a minister of religion, who had undergone certain stipulated training and periods of service in the Ministry and who followed no other profession, trade or gainful occupation; (iv) being a chief as defined in the Act.
Women's caucus
Women's caucuses or parliamentary groups that bring together women parliamentarians to strengthen cooperation and amplify their voices. For other parliamentary bodies or committees that have a specific mandate to address gender equality matters, see the ‘Specialized body – Gender equality’ tab.