Commissioner Irene Sithole is a qualified legal practitioner with an LLB Honours degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a Masters degree in Women’s law from the same institution.

Her career began as a Public Prosecutor with the Attorney General’s Office and she later joined the Legal Advice division in the same office gaining experience in litigation, statutory interpretation. legal drafting and providing sound advice to other government departments

She has proven her dedication, passion and intellectual capabilities about women’s rights in general and particularly the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities through her work in and with women’s rights organisations. This includes capacity building of women on gender laws and service providers on gender based violence laws. She has also trained various stakeholders in government and civil society on disability inclusion advocacy using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

She possesses a combination of empathy, analytical skills and a strong commitment to human rights promotion and social justice. This is evidenced  by her co-founding and leadership of Zimbabwe Blind Women Trust, an organisation solely established to empower women and girls with visual impairments to enjoy their rights coupled with her volunteer work with Deaf Women Included, a women’s disability advocacy organization.

Her insightful contributions to policy formulation are evidenced by her service on 3 Boards of women’s rights organisations. She served as the Chairperson of Zimbabwe Bling Women Trust,  vice Chairperson and later Chairperson of Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association and Secretary of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe.

Furthermore, her commitment to disability rights is based on her lived realities and experiences as a woman with a visual impairment. She actively participated in and encouraged persons with disabilities to participate in the consultations on the Persons with Disabilities Bill enacted into law in 2025 and ensured the Bill’s wide reach to rural populations. This experience has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by  persons with disabilities and underrepresented communities in general and a strong motivation to contribute to positive change.

She is a highly motivated and resourceful individual with a proven ability to learn quickly and think critically. Commissioner Sithole is particularly exceptional in advocating for vulnerable members of society, especially girls and women with disabilities. She consistently seeks opportunities to deepen her understanding of complex issues and is skilled at collaborating with others as well as working independently.

Rooted in lived experience and advocacy for the rights of women in general and particularly women and girls with disabilities, her journey has deepened into a wider passion and practice for human rights in general. As an independent Consultant on gender equality and disability rights, she continues to build the capacity of women to assert and know their rights regardless of their status. The intersectional discrimination she witnessed and addressed cultivated a professional curiosity to understand, promote, and protect the rights of all people. This foundation now informs her commitment to advancing human rights broadly, guided by faith and a calling to ensure no one and no place is left behind.