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Legal Monitor Issue 84
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
March 14, 2011

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Tough love for Zim women

Zimbabwe's women received brickbats from State agents as their counterparts in most parts of the world got hugs and bouquets during International Women Day's commemorations last week.

Some, such as Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) activists, stripped off their clothes - not out of love - but because they were forced to by State security agents.

Police forced three women, including a pregnant one, who participated in a ZCTU protest march to strip off their clothes in central Bulawayo, according to Barbara Tanyanyiwa of the union's Regional Women's Advisory Council.

They were part of dozens of activists taken into police custody last week for embarking on peaceful protests to mark International Women's Day.

The women in Bulawayo were arrested despite furnishing the police with a court order obtained by their lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on Monday 7 March allowing the ZCTU to stage a peaceful march in the city to commemorate International Women's Day.

International Women's Day is celebrated each year on 8 March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. This year's celebrations were marked under the theme "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women".

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), which campaigns for a "people-driven" new constitution, says because of the increase in violence against women, it has launched a campaign dubbed: "Act Now Against Political Violence targeting women".

The campaign seeks to address political violence as the country approaches elections by raising awareness, building support structures, name and shame perpetrators as well as capacitating women and communities to deal with the scourge at two levels: prevention and support for victims.

But, in the meantime, women continue to sing the blues, even on a day internationally recognised as theirs to air their voices.

Over 27 anti-riot police in two truckloads dispersed participants gathered at Luveve Baptist Church for an International Women's Day commemoration organised by ZLHR last Tuesday.

Two ZLHR employees, Prisca Dube, the programmes assistant for ZLHR's Matabeleland Satellite Office and Lizwe Jamela, a senior projects lawyer, were quizzed by the police about the commemorations.

The police told Jamela and Dube that the "obtaining environment" didn't allow for such commemorations because "unruly elements" could hijack the event to stage violent protests.

Three WOZA members Eneles Dube, Janet Dube and Selina Dube were arrested on Monday during a procession organised by WOZA to commemorate International Women's Day and detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station.

The three WOZA members were charged with contravening Section 38 of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly obstructing or endangering free movement of persons or traffic.

The WOZA members were only released on Wednesday at the police station on summons after three days in detention.

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