On 5 August 2026, during a high-level breakfast meeting held in Harare, the Government of Zimbabwe indicated that it had begun taking steps towards addressing gaps in the country’s legal and policy framework affecting intersex persons. The meeting, officially opened by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, brought together Cabinet ministers, senior Government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, health experts and representatives of the intersex community.
The process follows a legal challenge that exposed gaps in Zimbabwe’s existing legal framework, which currently recognises only male and female sex classifications. In response, the Ministry of Justice tasked the Law Development Commission, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to undertake research and national consultations on the legal and social challenges experienced by intersex persons. The consultations identified barriers arising from the absence of appropriate legal recognition, including difficulties in obtaining birth certificates, national identity documents and other official records, as well as resulting challenges in accessing education, healthcare, banking services, employment and voter registration. They also highlighted concerns relating to stigma and discrimination, bodily autonomy, non-consensual medical interventions involving intersex children, and limited awareness among service providers.
Minister Ziyambi indicated that Government intends to use the research findings, stakeholder inputs and testimonies to develop a coordinated, whole-of-Government and whole-of-society response and ultimately propose concrete policy and legislative measures. The development therefore represents an important step towards addressing longstanding legal and administrative barriers affecting intersex persons and strengthening their recognition, dignity and access to fundamental rights and public services in Zimbabwe.