1. Background and Context The Government of Zimbabwe plans to launch a National Health Insurance (NHI) in June 2026 to expand universal health coverage, funded through earmarked taxes. With only 13% covered by medical aid, the NHI will target the uninsured majority, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket costs and strengthen equity in healthcare. Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), a women’s rights organization committed to promoting maternal health and ensuring accessible, affordable, and gender-sensitive health services for women, lauds this initiative by the government, and seeks to ensure that the proposed NHI scheme legal framework incorporates provisions that explicitly address women’s maternal health needs, including maternal services and promote gender equality and affordability in health service delivery. Women and girls have specific health needs, and health systems around the world are failing them (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). Women’s health has become an urgent priority; effective and sustainable strategies are required to achieve optimal health outcomes. Thus, the proposed NHI scheme should be built within a framework of cultural competence and consideration of the health and well-being of women and girls across the life span.
Key Responsibilities
- Reviewing existing legal frameworks, and policies related to maternal health and gender equality
- Drafting model legal provisions that address the following key areas:
- Definition and inclusion of maternal health services as essential health benefits covered under the scheme.
- Gender-sensitive language and provisions that recognize women’s health rights, including maternal health services.
- Measures to ensure universal accessibility of safe and modern maternal health services by all women especially those in underserved areas.
- Provisions to eliminate barriers to access for marginalized groups such as rural women, adolescents, women with disabilities, and low-income populations.
- Mechanisms for monitoring, accountability, and enforcement of gender-sensitive and affordable health services, including maternal health provisions
- Integration of reproductive rights and informed consent principles
- Ensuring the model law aligns with best standards provided in the Constitution, Maputo Protocol, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other blue prints on medical services provision.
Requirements
- Proven experience in legal drafting, preferably in health law, gender equality, or human rights
- Familiarity with national health policy and legal frameworks related to maternal health
- Ability to translate policy objectives into clear, enforceable legal provisions
- Experience working with women’s rights organizations or in gender-sensitive legal reforms is an advantage
How to Apply
Interested legal experts or firms are invited to submit the following: A detailed curriculum vitae (CV) or organisational profile outlining relevant experience A concise proposal describing the proposed approach to the assignment Samples of similar legal drafting or policy work (where available) A proposed budget and implementation timeline Applications should be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than 30 January 2026.