Legal Resources Foundation Zimbabwe||
16 Oxford Road, Avondale, Harare||
Email: ao@lrf.co.zw|| pa@lrf.co.zw
Telephone: +263 242 334732 |
Toll-Free: 08080402/ 08010114
|WhatsApp: +263 785 659 616
LEGAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2025
On this 10th day of December 2025, the Legal Resources Foundation Zimbabwe (LRF) joins the global community in observing International Human Rights Day under the theme: “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” This day also marks the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, providing a significant occasion to reaffirm the imperative that human rights, including the right to freedom from violence, discrimination and abuse, must be realized not only in law but in the daily experiences of all Zimbabwean citizens, with particular emphasis on women and girls. In Zimbabwe, the realization of human rights as everyday essentials is shaped by enduring socio-economic pressures, widening inequalities and rapid digitalisation. While digital technologies have expanded access to information, services, and civic participation, they have also exposed women and girls to heightened risks of online harassment, abuse and exploitation, often without adequate protection or recourse. These realities highlight the urgent need to ensure that human rights protections are responsive to both physical and digital spaces in which Zimbabweans now live, work and engage.
The 2025 theme serves as a powerful reminder that human rights are fundamental and tangible; they encompass basic necessities such as sustenance, freedom of expression, security and equal opportunity. Rising digital challenges and violations threaten the rights to dignity, equality, privacy, safety, participation and free expression of women and girls. It is therefore imperative to recognize and uphold human rights both offline and in digital environments. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including online harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberstalking and hate speech, mirrors and amplifies offline discrimination, with far-reaching consequences for women’s safety, mental wellbeing and participation in public life.
LRF commends the Government of Zimbabwe for the progressive steps taken to implement the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, notably through constitutional provisions safeguarding human rights. The enactment of the Cyber and Data Protection Act, which criminalizes online violations of human rights, represents a critical advancement towards combating technology-facilitated violence and protecting rights within digital spaces. Furthermore, LRF acknowledges the vital work performed by key institutions including the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and civil society organisations committed to human rights promotion and protection throughout the nation.
Nonetheless, considerable challenges persist in translating these rights from legal provisions to lived realities. Survivors of digital and gender-based violence encounter significant barriers in reporting offenses, securing evidentiary support, accessing legal aid and psychosocial assistance and obtaining effective remedies. Constraints such as limited public awareness of digital rights and responsibilities, insufficient training and resources within law enforcement agencies, inadequate coordination among relevant institutions and potential misuse of cyber and data legislation to curb legitimate expression undermine constitutionally protected rights to lawful expression, access to information and participation, impeding on the full enjoyment of fundamental rights. Marginalised communities, particularly those with limited digital access and literacy, experience compounded exclusion and vulnerability.
The LRF reiterates the urgent need for concerted action to address these deficiencies to ensure that every Zimbabwean can experience human rights as an accessible and effective reality. We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to enhance the enforcement of existing laws; improve specialised training and resource allocation for police, prosecution and judiciary dealing with digital and gender-based violence and establish robust mechanisms for oversight, transparency and accountability to prevent abuses of digital regulations. The Parliament of Zimbabwe is urged to continue harmonising national legislation with the Constitution and international human rights treaties. Independent oversight bodies must vigorously monitor, investigate and address human rights violations, including those perpetrated online. These efforts must be guided by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability to ensure that measures intended to protect human rights do not inadvertently erode those same rights.
LRF also calls upon internet service providers, social media platforms and other private sector entities to develop and enforce comprehensive, gender-responsive policies to prevent online abuse, safeguard user data and privacy and provide accessible, survivor-centred reporting mechanisms. Communities, educational institutions, faith-based organisations and the media should actively promote digital literacy, confront harmful social norms and advance a culture of respect, equality and non-violence in both physical and virtual spaces. It is incumbent upon all individuals to uphold the dignity of others, oppose injustice, support survivors and amplify the voices of marginalized groups, thereby embedding human rights into the fabric of everyday life.
As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence conclude, LRF affirms that the struggle against gender-based and digital violence is an ongoing commitment, transcending any campaign period. The LRF remains dedicated to providing legal aid, human rights education, strategic litigation and advocacy to actualize the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all Zimbabweans, with particular focus on women, children, and vulnerable populations. Human rights must constitute the foundation of unity among Zimbabweans of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, fostering stability and hope amidst ongoing challenges.
The LRF also calls on the State, independent commissions, the private sector, civil society, communities and individuals to collaborate in creating a Zimbabwe where human rights are consistently respected, protected, and fulfilled, in the home, community, institutions and the digital realm. Human rights are our everyday essentials; together we must safeguard them for current and future generations.
For further information, please contact:
Legal Resources Foundation Zimbabwe|| 16 Oxford Road, Avondale, Harare|| Email: ao@lrf.co.zw|| Telephone: +263 242 334732 | Toll-Free: 08080402||WhatsApp: +263 785 659 616
