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This article participates on the following special index pages:
16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, 2007 - Index of articles
Statement
on 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
Students Solidarity Trust
December 05, 2007
Visit
the index of articles on 16 Days of Activism 2007
The Students
Solidarity Trust joins other progressive movements in commemorating
16 days of activism against gender violence.
The 16 Days
of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign
originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored
by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991
Participants
chose the dates, November 25, International Day against Violence
against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in
order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights
and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights.
This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including
November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December
1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of
the Montreal Massacre.
14 female students
were massacred by an irate gunman at l'Ecole Polytechnic in
Montreal on December 6, 1989, separating men and women and yelling,
"I want women". He would go on a shooting spree, killing
14 female students.
Today the female
student in Zimbabwe is subject to both psychological and physical
violence by an insensitive government, a government which has neglected
totally the welfare of female students, and has threatened to tear
apart the very social cohesion and integration of the female species.
Sadly, this
year's campaign takes place amidst an inundation of excesses
against the female students in Zimbabwe. Female students were subjected
to all forms of abuse at the University of Zimbabwe when the vice
chancellor decided to close all halls of residence while students
were preparing for exams. In Masvingo the police harassed and tortured
female students before making them languish in remand prison for
weeks. This is happening at a time female students have joined the
struggles for academic freedoms. Brenda Mupfurutsa and Faith Nkomo
of Great Zimbabwe University in Masvingo are currently serving indefinite
suspension. This is threatening to tear apart the very social fabric
of the female students in Zimbabwe.
As we commemorate
the 16 days of activism against gender based violence, the SST takes
the time to share the simple message that female students and women
across Zimbabwe should:
- Believe
that they are not to be blamed for being beaten up and abused
- Believe that
they have a right to feel, think and make choices for themselves
- Know that
they are not alone and that they can ask for solidarity and help
- Believe that
they can decide what is best for themselves
Visit the Students
Solidarity Trust fact
sheet
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