HeForShe Zimbabwe Summit Strengthens Partnerships for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

The European Union Delegation and UN Women as Co-Chairs of the HeForShe Movement in Zimbabwe hosted the 5th Edition of the HeForShe Zimbabwe Impact Summit on the 31st of May 2023 in Harare. The Summit served as a platform for HeForShe Ambassadors to share experiences, exchange ideas and best practices as well as affirm and reaffirm their commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. This year’s Summit was held under the theme ‘Strengthening Partnerships for Gender Equality and the Women’s Empowerment’, and it enabled delegates to explore strategies for cultivating and harnessing multi-stakeholder synergies for gender equality.

Speaking during the Summit H.E Jobst von Kirchmann, the EU Ambassador and Co-Chair of the Movement said

“The HeForShe Zimbabwe Impact Summit provides a crucial platform for us to come together and drive collective action towards gender equality and women’s empowerment,”

“Through strengthened partnerships, we can create meaningful change and ensure a more inclusive society for all.”

The UN Women Country Representative Ms. Fatou Lo,  in her opening remarks said

“The focus for this year’s HeForShe Zimbabwe Impact Summit allows us to consolidate our thoughts, strategies and efforts toward gender equality and women’s empowerment while leveraging unique capacities and capabilities. It is important for us to reflect: How are we working together? How can we do more and achieve greater impact?”

The Zimbabwe Impact Summit also witnessed the on-boarding of additional HeForShe Ambassadors including  Private Sector Leaders, Youth Leaders and Civil Society Leaders. Additionally, UN Women and the European Union acknowledged 60 youth Innovators Against Gender-Based Violence (IAGs), who have been actively promoting the HeForShe movement in rural areas of Zimbabwe and contributing significantly to research on Gender at Masters Level through the EU funded Spotlight Initiative.

The HeForShe Zimbabwe Impact Summit was attended by 100 delegates including government officials, diplomats, UN Agency representatives, business leaders, civil society organisations, Media and youth activists. The Co-Chairs and a Representative of the Government of Zimbabwe also held a press conference to share the outcomes of the Summit.