About the project

Combating Human Trafficking: The Role of NGOs in the fight against Human Trafficking in Zimbabwe 

Human Trafficking is a complex global challenge, with unique features in different regions and countries. According to the 2019 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in persons reports, Zimbabwe is a source, transit and destination country for trafficking in persons, yet the prevalence of different forms of human trafficking in the country is unknown and the conviction rates and victim identification patterns remain a cause for concern. 

Also, Zimbabwe’s current Trafficking in Persons law is inconsistent with international laws as it defines trafficking in persons as a movement-based crime and does not adequately define ‘exploitation’. This not only leaves many victims of exploitation without legal protection but has huge implications on how human trafficking is understood and anti-trafficking initiatives are undertaken.

Aims of the project

This ESRC-GCRF funded project (Ref ES/T010622/1), aims to:

  • explore how human trafficking is identified and understood within a Zimbabwean context through secondary analysis of NGO data
  • raise awareness of the trends, prevalence of different forms of exploitation associated with human trafficking and the impact on gender and age
  • Identify the opportunities and constraints that characterise NGOs’ anti-trafficking
    work and make recommendations on how current anti-trafficking efforts can be strengthened

We will also work with our partner organizations to reach out to other various stakeholders concerned with fighting human trafficking in Zimbabwe to build a more cohesive multi-agency partnership to strengthen the country’s anti-trafficking efforts.

The project offers possibilities for change in policy, practice and perception as different stakeholders work together.

Project collaborations and partnerships

It is a collaboration between academics at:


The project also involves working in partnership with: