Zimbabwe is facing growing concern over the killing of women and children in domestic settings, with at least 13 deaths recorded between June and September 2026, according to Shamwari Yemwanasikana.
In a statement, Shamwari Yemwanasikana said the deaths were recorded in areas including Chikanga, Nkulumane, Southlea Park, Shamva, Hatfield, Glen View and Darwendale. The organisation said a Zimbabwean family in the United Kingdom was also affected.
The victims included a pregnant woman, a serving police officer, a mother and her two daughters, as well as two girls aged five and two.
“What we are witnessing is no longer just domestic disputes but femicide, where minor disagreements over childcare or family matters are escalating into brutal killings involving weapons such as hammers, axes, firearms and fire, with children also becoming victims,” the organisation said.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana, which works to empower the girl child, said the deaths were also having a serious impact on children who witnessed the violence.
“As an organization that empowers the girl child, we believe that if a girl grows up seeing her mother killed by her father, her own future is destroyed,” it said.
The organisation said some children who survived the incidents were now facing life without their mothers and could be exposed to further harm.
“Many of them witnessed their mothers being murdered and are now left orphaned, traumatized and vulnerable to secondary abuse, including neglect, stigma, exploitation and being shuffled between relatives without proper care,” it said.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana called on the Zimbabwe Gender Commission to take action and raise the issue with the Office of the President and Cabinet, Parliament and the Ministry of Women Affairs.
“We therefore urgently call upon the Zimbabwe Gender Commission to intervene decisively and use its constitutional mandate to push this crisis to higher offices, including the Office of the President and Cabinet, Parliament and the Ministry of Women Affairs, to ensure that intimate partner murders are declared a national emergency,” it said.
The organisation also called for urgent support for children affected by the killings, including counselling, safe shelter and long-term care.
“We further call upon the Department of Social Welfare, the Victim Friendly Unit and our partners to urgently provide psychosocial support, safe shelter and long-term care plans for the surviving children to protect them from secondary abuse and to guarantee their right to continue with life, education and healing,” it said.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana said it would continue its “Home Should Be Safe” campaign and work with child protection organisations to assist affected children.
“Shamwari Yemwanasikana will continue its campaign that Home Should Be Safe and commits to working with child protection stakeholders to ensure that no child is left to suffer twice, first by losing a mother and then by losing protection,” it said.
“We stand in solidarity with all the affected families and reaffirm our commitment to act rather than continue counting bodies,” the organisation said.