Interrogating women’s agency, capabilities and the quota system in enhancing political participation in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Globally, women remain underrepresented in political leadership, constituting only 24% of representatives, with Sub-Saharan Africa trailing at 23.6%. Zimbabwe‘s National House of Assembly (NHoA) reflects a slightly higher figure of 32.2%, yet still falls short of the 50/50 gender parity target set by the SADC Gender Protocol, which Zimbabwe has ratified. Despite constitutional mandates such as Chapter 17 of the 2013 Zimbabwean Constitution which provides for a 60-seat quota for women the gap between global aspirations and domestic realities persists. This study responds to the need for a shift from policy compliance to transformative inclusion by interrogating the structural, cultural, and institutional dynamics that shape women‘s political participation in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by three objectives: (1) to establish the types of agency and political capabilities Zimbabwean women possess that qualify them as political actors; (2) to examine the sociopolitical factors that hinder or enhance women‘s political participation; and (3) to assess the intersection of the quota system with women‘s agency and capabilities. A qualitative, phenomenological research design was employed, drawing on Sen‘s Capabilities Approach, Bandura‘s Human Agency Theory, and Arnstein‘s Ladder of Participation to frame the analysis. Purposive and maximum variation sampling were used to select fifty participants including Members of Parliament, women‘s organizations, and voters within Harare Province. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and document analysis. Thematic analysis was applied, with attention to credibility, trustworthiness, and ethical rigor. Findings reveal that while women demonstrate resilience and strategic agency, their participation is often reactive and survivalist rather than transformative. Capabilities such as voice, autonomy, and influence are unevenly distributed and constrained by institutional gate keeping, stigma, and intra-party dynamics. The quota system, while offering formal entry points, has not dismantled patriarchal structures or fostered substantive empowerment. Proxy mechanisms and loyalty-based retention dilute the transformative intent of gender equality provisions. The study concludes that symbolic inclusion must give way to substantive empowerment. Recommendations include redesigning quota frameworks to promote intersectional inclusion, institutionalizing feminist political education, fostering intra-gender solidarity, and cultivating autonomous leadership pathways. A paradigm shift is require done that centers lived experience, challenges patriarchal norms, and builds feminist solidarity capable of transforming both institutions and political culture in Zimbabwe