CDF Slams CAB3 As “Betrayal” Of Zimbabwean Women

The Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) Women’s Desk has condemned the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3, 2026, calling it a “profound setback for constitutional democracy” and a betrayal of women’s aspirations.

In a statement, CDF Women’s Desk spokesperson Jaqueline Sande-Kamanga said CAB3 weakens democratic governance and threatens the gains women have made in public life.

The amendment, which postpones elections by two years, would delay the renewal of representative institutions, the group said.

“Women, who have historically faced structural barriers to political participation, will bear a disproportionate share of this setback,” the statement reads.

The CDF said that the law leads to a “dangerous concentration of political power”, arguing that democracy depends on regular elections.

“When citizens are denied the opportunity to choose their leaders through regular elections, the legitimacy of governance is fundamentally undermined,” it said.

The Women’s Desk pointed to the role of women from Mbuya Nehanda to the liberation struggle, saying their contributions laid the foundation for Zimbabwe’s democracy. But it noted that women remain underrepresented in Parliament and other decision-making bodies despite the quota system.

“Every protection secured, every opportunity created, and every advancement achieved has come through years of determined advocacy and sacrifice,” the statement said. “CAB3 threatens to reverse that progress.”

The group warned that women, young people and marginalised communities are often the first to suffer when constitutional safeguards are weakened.

“The changes introduced through CAB3 are neither people-driven nor people-centred,” it said. “They reflect political self-preservation rather than the national interest.”

The CDF Women’s Desk called on all women in Zimbabwe, “regardless of race, tribe, social status, political affiliation, or religious belief”, to condemn the promulgation of CAB3.

“The defence of the Constitution is inseparable from the defence of women’s rights, equality, and dignity,” Sande-Kamanga said.