Climate change is contributing to rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV), particularly among working-class communities.
Experts called for sexual and reproductive health rights and education to be incorporated into national climate and labour policies.
The concerns were raised during a two-day Capacity Development Workshop on Just Transition, Human Rights Due Diligence, and Enterprise-Level Social Dialogue held at the Bulawayo Club.
Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition executive director, Justice Zvaita, said existing climate-related policies in Zimbabwe are fragmented and fail to adequately protect workers’ rights.
“We should actually start calling for a just resilient framework that addresses our issues,” Zvaita said.
“Just transition affects everyone.
“We need co-design and engagement with all stakeholders, including employees, employers, and communities.”
Zvaita warned that climate change is increasingly linked to GBV as economic hardships destabilise families.
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“Climate change is going to cause a lot of problems, and you are going to notice that gender-based violence is going to be on the increase,” he said.
“These are realities that we should face because this is now becoming a family issue.”
He noted that loss of livelihoods and economic instability place enormous pressure on families, often resulting in domestic conflicts.
Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union president, Gracious Sibanda, said harsh working conditions in mining communities such as Hwange were contributing to family breakdowns and sexual health complications.
“Many workers in the mining sector are now unable to satisfy their partners because of the conditions they are exposed to in the mines,” Sibanda said.
She added that women working in high-temperature mining environments face reproductive health challenges, saying extreme heat exposure has reduced child-bearing chances for many women of reproductive age.
Sibanda also accused some mining companies of failing to provide gender-sensitive protective clothing, instead giving female workers safety shoes designed for men.
Participants called for climate policies, labour laws, and mining regulations to be harmonised to ensure worker protection, gender equality, and community wellbeing in the face of climate change.
