In a historic milestone for wildlife conservation and gender equality in Zimbabwe, 28 community wildlife scouts graduated from a basic ranger training course at the Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation (ZIWC) in Masvingo.
The scouts, drawn from Mbire and Muzarabani Districts in the Zambezi Valley, completed a rigorous training program facilitated by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) under the ‘UTARIRI – Integrated and Adaptive Biodiversity, Climate and Livelihoods Project in the Zambezi Valley, 2022-2025.’ , a four-year initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) to improve biodiversity, climate, and livelihoods in the region. Among the graduates, 13 were women, representing almost half of the cohort and breaking new ground for women’s participation and leadership in wildlife protection.
Professor Never Muboko, Principal of Principal, Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation (ZIWC), praised the performance and diversity of the graduates, saying: “Witnessing such a great number of women graduating today shows gender balance in upskilling and training. I continue to advocate for the improvement of the girl child in wildlife conservation and I am happy today with the ratio that we have.”
He added that the basic ranger training course, which took place from June 20, 2023, to July 21, 2023, covered various topics, such as human-wildlife conflict, human rights issues in law enforcement, ecological monitoring, ranger-based data collection, problem animal management, and community engagement.
“All these topical issues make up a complete law enforcement package as they equip you to be competent and have skills and attitude that will enable you to combat wildlife crime,” he said.
Olivia Mufute, AWF Zimbabwe Country Director, congratulated the graduates and thanked the partners for their support. She said: “This historic development has come as part of efforts to support community-level human-wildlife conflict management structures under the Utariri project; this is in harmony with the AWF’s 10-year conservation strategy as we strive to conserve wildlife and reduce poaching and trafficking as major causes of the decline of key wildlife species in Zimbabwe.”
She also acknowledged the role of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) in facilitating the training and providing guidance. “This would not have happened without the unwavering support from Zimparks. The strong partnership that we have is indeed yielding positive results on the ground, including the upskilling of scouts that we have witnessed today,” she said.
Missy Muchadei (19), who was awarded as the Overall Best Student, expressed her gratitude to all the stakeholders who supported the basic ranger training. She said: “We would like to send a sincere thank you to our respective Rural District Councils, Muzarabani RDC, and Mbire RDC through the support of AWF for providing us with the necessary resources and funding to excel in our chosen field.”
We also appreciate Zimparks and ZIWC for imparting us with valuable knowledge and skills that will enable us to protect our wildlife and natural resources. We are proud to be part of this noble cause and we hope to inspire more women to join us in this journey.”
According to AWF, women make up only 11 percent of rangers globally, despite their proven effectiveness in reducing poaching and enhancing community relations. In Zimbabwe, women face various barriers to enter and advance in this male-dominated field, such as cultural norms, lack of education, limited opportunities, and gender-based violence . However, there are also inspiring examples of women-led wildlife conservation initiatives in Zimbabwe, such as Akashinga an all-female anti-poaching unit that employs unique tactics to protect a wildlife park close to Mbire. AWF also supports women’s empowerment through alternative livelihood development programs that target 1,500 individuals, half of whom are female. The graduation of 13 women scouts under the Utariri project is another testament to the potential and progress of women in wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.
