Youth Symposium in Bulawayo exposes how corruption intensifies gender inequalities

By Nobukhosi Ndlovu

A Youth Symposium held in Bulawayo yesterday brought together young people, activists, and civil society organizations to unpack the impacts of corruption on Zimbabwean communities, with a particular focus on how women and girls are disproportionately affected.

Hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe in partnership with several civic groups, the symposium’s aim was, ‘Uniting With Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Intergrity.

“Systems alone are not enough, they must be supported by young people,” Mr Tafadzwa ChikumbuTafadzwa Chikumbu, the Executive Director of Transparency International Zimbabwe, said during his speech. The symposium featured discussions on institutional accountability, Intergrity, youth participation, and the social cost of corruption.

After the main session, participants broke into side sessions, one that was hosted by Women’s Institute for Leadership Development focused specifically on the nexus between gender and corruption. Facilitated by Jacqueline Ndlovu, the session created a platform for strong engagement from young activists, human rights defenders, and gender advocates.

The gender-focused dialogue, which included voices from Transparency International Zimbabwe, Youth organizations, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, the Legal sector, and the general public, highlighted how corruption amplifies everyday vulnerabilities faced by women and girls. Speakers noted that bribery in public institutions often limits women’s access to essential services, exposes them to exploitation, and deepens existing inequalities.

“Power and corruption work hand in hand,” one of the panelists, Agrippa Mabhanti, from Zimbabwe Gender Commission shared during the session, defining corruption and highlighting how it usually takes different forms. He explained that women often suffer the consequences of decisions made without their participation. One example Mabhanti raised was that of poorly implemented public infrastructure projects in rural areas, such as clinics built through corrupt tender processes. When such facilities are incomplete, women, who are primary caregivers in families and communities, bear the heaviest burden.

Prisca Dube, a Human Rights Lawyer on the panel highlighted that many communities in Zimbabwe are structured around deeply masculine norms, forcing women to navigate systems not designed with their protection in mind. “Community is masculine and women have to fit into those spaces,” she said. When asked what she had seen in communities from a legal and rights-based perspective, she explained that corruption affecting women has evolved beyond paying bribes, that women are being forced to use sex as a form of payment to access services, opportunities, or protection, an abuse now widely recognised as sextortion. Dube emphasized that this form of corruption is both a violation of human rights and a reflection of deeply rooted gender inequalities.

Discussions went further into the growing concern of sextortion within higher education institutions. Participants of the session noted that some young women feel pressured to exchange sexual favours to pass exams or secure academic advantages. The conversation pointed to the actual root causes of corruption, such as economic hardship, unequal power relations between students and staff, and a lack of effective reporting mechanisms, that make young women particularly vulnerable to this form of exploitation.

Jacqueline Ndlovu, the facilitator of the session also talked about how some corrupt habits start at home and are passed on as children grow. She explained that even in families, children sometimes tell their parents to pay them to keep quiet about certain things which in a way teaches them early that exchanging favours for silence or benefits is normal.

The conversation then highlighted problems in the education system, how some teachers reportedly separate students who would have paid for extra lessons from those who did not, giving more attention and support to the paying group. Participants of the discussion said this sends a message to children that they must pay to succeed or to be treated well. These experiences then shape how young people view corruption later in life and make it seem like a normal part of society.

As the country continues to confront corruption and gender related issues, the symposium’s discussions emphasized on the growing calls for stronger accountability mechanisms, youth led advocacy, and reforms that centre youth’s experiences in the fight against corruption.