The author argues that, during the years 1995-1998, women's organizations in Zimbabwe redefined traditional strategies for engaging the State and civil society action. Instead, theirs was a strategy that saw the organizational base, its rural networks and concerned individuals coming together in various issue-driven configurations and strategic coalitions, forming and disbanding and reforming again as needed. After years of organizing with somewhat fragile gains, women activists turned to the constitutional reform process as the ultimate forum for enshrining gender equality and entrenching Zimbabwean women's rights. It was during this process that the power of collective organizing was recognized and strategically refined, as well as challenged.