MEDIA The media played an important role in providing access to COVID 19 information to the rest of the citizens and also in holding the government to account especially in the mobilisation and utilisation of resources for instance the unearthing of irregularities in the procurement of COVID 19 materials. • • • Under Section 14 of Statutory Instrument 83 of the Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020, the Zimbabwe government stipulated that publication or communication of "false or fake news" during the national lockdown period could attract the excessive punishment, heavy fine, or both. The year 2020 saw a massive escalation of media freedom violations, with 52 journalists either arrested, detained, harassed or assaulted by officers enforcing the lockdown. Access to COVID-19 related information was difficult to obtain, for instance the government of Zimbabwe initially muzzled the city councils from sharing important information on COVID-19, instructing the Mayor of Harare not to disclose information on COVID-19. GENDER Several gender issues were also prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, more so during the national lockdown. Women were disproportionately affected by COVID 19 and this included the following: Women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services, access to pre and post-natal care, neonatal care, among other healthcare services unique to their needs, was significantly disrupted. Unpaid domestic and care work increased exponentially during the lockdown, as women and girls were confined at home and were expected to take up more responsibilities of maintaining the home and providing care to the rest of the family. Since schools closed in late March 2020, the number of reported cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) against girls has more than doubled and only a third of survivors are receiving appropriate health and psychosocial services.