By Own Correspondent

WOMEN, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the LGBTQI+ community continue to experience the worst forms of marginalisation in Zimbabwe’s workplaces, the 2022 Zimbabwe Country Report Human Rights Practices has revealed.

The meticulous study conducted annually by the United States Department of State expressed grave concerns over the perpetual gender based wage disparities in the country’s labour market among other rights issues.

It was observed that cultural beliefs views that women should have overall responsibility for domestic work but also participate in productive or income-generating activity with demands on women being heightened during the farming season from October to March while at the same time outside of the farming season, women often take  part in the informal sector, including as artisanal mining.  

“Women’s participation in the labour force was viewed as necessary due to economic hardship. Women were underrepresented in decision-making positions, despite a constitutional requirement that the government make efforts to have equal representation of men and women in all governmental institutions and agencies at every level,” said the study.

The report also observed that Persons with HIV, AIDS, or albinism faced discrimination in employment with employers being discriminated against members of minority ethnic groups whom they often perceived as opposition supporters.

“Employers discriminated against members of minority ethnic groups whom they often perceived as opposition supporters. Persons with disabilities faced social and employment discrimination and lack of access to many workplaces.

“LGBTQI+ persons faced discrimination in employment. Opposition officials reported employment discrimination based on political affiliation, in both governmental and nongovernmental employment,” the report added.