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ZINASU commemorates International Women's day
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
March 08, 2008

International Women's Day (IWD) marked on 8 March every year is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a Declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it commemorates the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (New York, 1911), where over 140 women lost their lives.

To this end, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), joins the rest of the world in commemorating this historically significant day under the global theme: Investing in Women and Girls. In Zimbabwe, it is challenging to note that we are celebrating this day at the backdrop of a collapsing state, battling from a dark trajectory of unprecedented macro-economic regression, severe political instability, shocking human insecurity and disintegrating social welfare infrastructure. The women are the worst affected by the crisis in Zimbabwe. The gender-related development index of Zimbabwe suffices it all.

According to the United Nation, the greater the gender disparity in basic human development, the lower the country's GDI relative to its HDI. In this regard, Zimbabwe's GDI value, 0.505 should be compared to its HDI value of 0.513. Its GDI value is 98.4% of its HDI value. In the final analysis, Out of 156 countries with both HDI and GDI values, 108 countries have better ratios than Zimbabwe, the only country we have. Further, it is reported that 20.1% of the Zimbabwean population is living with HIV and of that 20.1% more than 60% are females. As if that is enough, of the people living below the poverty datum line in Zimbabwe, more than 70% are women. Gender-related violence is now an alarming national phenomenon.

Further statistical and gender analysis show that 80 to 90% of legal and illegal cross border traders are women as the economy crisis has made commodities in Zimbabwe so scarce that these women, to fend for their families, have to risk their lives by crossing the crocodile infested Limpopo river, and worse still after crossing the river, they have to pass through an electricity fence erected by the government of South Africa. Further, sexual abuses cases are rampant at the Border posts. In short, the women of Zimbabwe are trapped in between a hard place and a rock.

The current water and electricity crises have also seen young girls having to temporarily abandon their school as they have had to wait for hours on end to fetch water mostly from unhealthy sources, and have to search for firewood as they may have no electricity for months. The rural girl has not at all been spared from being so disadvantaged by ills of society and crises bedevilling the country.

State brutality on women cannot go without mention at this time as we have seen the state machinery pouncing on women and totally disregarding their human rights and dignity. Only recently, Priviledge Mutanga, the ZINASU Gender and Human Rights Secretary, had her rights violated when, at nine months pregnant, she was beaten up by police in Bulawayo and ended up with a broken arm. Such action should not at all be acceptable and should be condemned in the strongest of all terms.

With elections coming in a few weeks' time, it is encouraging to have female candidates running for office under various portfolios as the nation hopes to invest its future in these women and join in celebrating their achievements and work together in reviving our collapsed economy under their leadership. Today, ZINASU encourages all women in Zimbabwe to participate in the development and transformation of the country and demand their space in all decision making processes as these have a direct effect on their lives, future and well being as well.

Finally, we call upon the government to respect all international human rights treaties such as the Convention of Elimination of All Forms Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the regional instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) among other instruments. The government, as a duty bearer have the obligations to guarantee positive realisation of economic social as well as civil and political rights to all citizens, women included. The government must work to address its severe performance gaps and build sustainable capacities in rights-holders to determine their destiny.

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