Gender Balance and Zimbabwe Election Coverage

On August 23 and 24, 2023, Zimbabwe conducted its general elections, encompassing the selection of the president, legislators, and councillors. Remarkably, only one among the 11 presidential candidates was a woman, and her candidacy was marred by bureaucratic delays, which significantly hindered her campaign and, consequently, her appeal to voters. Unfortunately, the media’s coverage of this issue was lackluster, often failing to adequately highlight the challenges faced by women candidates and strategies to overcome these hurdles, despite occasional mentions. The underrepresentation of women in the political landscape is evident as only 60 women were among the 280 individuals elected to the parliament.

This report delves into a comprehensive analysis of how the media portrayed women’s roles during Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections, with a particular focus on their representation, the obstacles they confronted, and the opportunities they sought to seize. Notably, the election encountered difficulties due to systemic mishaps experienced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, resulting in delays in the voting process, especially in urban areas. Despite these challenges, the ruling party ZANU-PF secured a majority of seats in Parliament, while the opposition party CCC – Citizens Coalition for Change mounted a challenge but fell short of gaining sufficient seats to form a government.

This research was done in partnership with Gender & Media Connect Zimbabwe.

These results uncovers a concerning trend of women’s persistent underrepresentation in political media coverage, thereby limiting their visibility and diminishing the portrayal of their ideas, policies, and achievements. The media predominantly fixated on male political leaders, inadvertently reinforcing traditional gender norms and stereotypes. In any electoral process, the media wields significant influence in shaping public opinion and fostering political discourse. Embracing gender-sensitive reporting practices, challenging preconceived stereotypes, and amplifying women’s voices would have played a pivotal role in fostering a more inclusive and equitable electoral process during Zimbabwe’s 2023 harmonized elections.

Furthermore, social media has emerged as a potent tool for advancing women’s political participation, allowing them to share their voices, build networks, and advocate for gender equality. However, it is essential to address challenges such as online harassment and the digital divide to ensure that these platforms can be harnessed effectively in promoting women’s political engagement.

We monitored written articles from seven major online media outlets – 263Chat, TellZim, ZimNow, Newsday, The Herald, The Chronicle, and ZBC Online – over 21 days before and after election day. We selected the outlets based on specific criteria, including national scope, size of audience and type of media.

We analysed a total of 264 articles that were harvested on a daily basis between 6 and 26 August.