THE Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has introduced a comprehensive gender policy aimed at eradicating gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in mines and mining communities across the country.
The announcement coincides with the union’s participation in the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, running from November 25 to December 10, 2025, under the theme Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.
In a statement, ZDAMWU women committee chairperson Tendai Mpundu said the new policy was a direct response to alarming rates of violence, both offline and online.
She said 58% of girls and young women experienced online harassment, while inadequate legal protections left 44% of women and girls worldwide without recourse.
“As a trade union, it is essential that we counter hate speech and emerging forms of workplace violence in all our work and activities,” Mpundu said.
“Our union has put in place its own gender policy confirming our desire to end GBVH in all mines, mining communities and the union itself.”
Mpundu emphasised that the policy is underpinned by robust legal frameworks, including the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 190 and relevant provisions within the national Labour Act.
“Ending violence is not optional but essential for justice, equality and human rights,” Mpundu noted.
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“ZDAMWU is committed to leading this process in the mining industry, acting decisively, and holding employers and social media platforms accountable.”
Moving forward, the union has outlined a decisive action plan.
This includes negotiating workplace policies that explicitly prohibit online harassment and digital abuse, and integrating GBV, including its digital forms, into occupational health and safety systems and risk assessments, among other interventions.
