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Targeting married woman teachers for transfers damages families
Judith Chiyangwa
Women's Empowerment Department, Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)
May 15, 2003

In October 2002 the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) called for a strike to press the government for better salaries for teachers.

The result of the strike saw teachers getting a salary increment of about 100% which was not what we demanded. We also saw 627 teachers being suspended from the service for 3 months without salary. 404 of them were women. This was a blow to the teachers considering that they had no savings from their peanut-shell salaries. The PTUZ managed to give some allowances to the affected teachers although but these were clearly inadequate.

This period also saw the death of 3 of the suspended female teachers. One of them taught at Warren Park High School and she died because she could not afford to get treatment at West-End Clinic as she could not produce a current pay slip to show Medical Aid deductions.

Her death was a result of the cruel penalties set by the Ministry of Education. If not for her suspension she might have survived.

6 months after the strike teachers started to be penalised for their participation in the strike action. These penalties included:
- no promotion
- reprimands
- transfers

Some of the teachers who had been charged with striking where found not guilty. We can only now wonder what criteria were used to determine the application of penalties. Surely all teachers who participated in the strike should have been subjected to the same penalties.

We, the Women Empowerment Department (WED), have noticed a worrying trend. Teachers targeted for transfers have mainly been women. These women are being transferred to schools outside Harare, far from their families.

We note with great concern that the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture is promoting the spread of HIV/AIDS and child abuse by separating families in this way.

For example, a woman who is a mother and wife is transferred to a school in Mtorashanga, far from home. She is forced to leave her husband alone in Harare. With the salary she gets she can only afford one visit a term. What this means is that substitutes are found for her in the home. This in all likelihood promotes promiscuity and the spread of HIV/AIDS. She is forced to leave her 7 and 13 year old daughters and a 9 year old boy alone without a care giver. With the high incidence of sexual assault prevalent in Zimbabwe there is a great risk of the 7 year old being raped. She cannot disclose this to Dad because he is never home in time.

Why is this rape possible? The eagle realizes the chicks have been left unattended.

The 13 year old starts her menstrual cycle but cannot confide in Dad. She becomes isolated from others because she does not know what to do. Even if she rushes to the supermarket with her pocket money she cannot find cotton wool.

The 9 year old boy needs special attention. He is a child of special needs and when Mum leaves life is going to be hell for him.

They will all wish that mummy was home.

The WED representing the Women Teachers cannot watch this happen. We are in the process of mobilizing women teachers and any other organizations that sympathize with women to press demands on the Ministry of Education to withdraw all of these destructive transfers.

For more information:
National Secretary
Judith Chiyangwa
+263-(0)91-355096

Visit the PTUZ fact sheet

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