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8th MARCH 2004 is International Women's Day - March to defend your rights
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
March 03, 2004

WOZA means 'Come forward'. By women for women and with women, across race, colour, creed, class or political persuasion. Empowering women to be courageous, caring, committed and in communication with their communities.

Women in Zimbabwe are not celebrating, they are crying because they are being stripped of their rights. Join us at 9 am for a thirty-minute inter-denominational service, followed by a peaceful procession at:

• Harare Central Baptist Church 2nd St/ Fife Ave
• Bulawayo: St Marys Catholic Cathedral, Lobengula St /9th Ave
• London: Solidarity protest at Zimbabwe House in London, at 5.30pm.
  Zimbabwe House, 429 The Strand, WC1 (Nearest tube: Charing Cross) - email for more info: loisd9@yahoo.co.uk

Our protest message is: Dignify us with a new constitution. Do not strip women of their rights.

Ndebele: Qakathekisa omama. Ungabahlubuli amalungelo abo! Qakathekisa isisekelo ngokusembesa ubunqunu baso bulihlazo esizweni seZimbabwe!

Shona: Remekedzai madzimai. Musava- bvutira kodzero dzavo! Remekedzai bumbiro re mutemo nokuri vhara kushama kwaro, kurikunyadzisa mhuri yese ye Zimbabwe!

What we expect of participants:

• Attend the walk in solidarity from 9 to 11am on Monday.
• Or gather friends together at your home to hold a prayer meeting for
  Zimbabwean women.
• Those attending street processions should show their love by bringing flowers to hand out as they walk. Come dressed in white for peace.
• If you cannot join us, demonstrate at your closest shopping centre.

We, the mothers of the nation, would like Zimbabweans to realise that the Constitution is supposed to be the mother of all laws. Zimbabweans no longer respect this mother and have neglected her badly before and after Independence. We believe that this is the reason this mother is now giving birth to abnormal children. Public Order & Security Act, POSA and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, AIPPA are two of her notorious children. POSA is mad and out of control and AIPPA makes us dummies. It is from a woman's body that life begins and this is also true of the Constitution. We appeal to Zimbabweans to respect and dignify the constitution as they would any mother. This mother of ours was only half dressed in Lancaster and her clothes are now tattered and torn leaving her naked and open to abuse by evil men. We, the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) are saying that the Constitution of Zimbabwe is being gang raped and forced to produce the most notorious kinds of children. As mothers, we are calling for the nation to respect us and dignify us with a new Constitution. Only then can good and clean laws be birthed and nurtured for growth. DIGNIFY US WITH A NEW CONSTITUTION. DO NOT STRIP WOMEN OF THEIR RIGHTS.

ENGLISH

Mugabe promised to protect womens rights! Is he doing that?
Together with other African leaders, Robert Mugabe signed the "PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA" on 16 November 2001, to make sure that ALL rights of ALL women are protected.

By signing this Protocol, Robert Mugabe promised to [among other things]:

• End discrimination against Women
• Respect Women's dignity
• Protect Women's right to life and security

Mugabe pledged that to do this he would:

• Prevent and prohibit violence against women in public and private spheres
• Promote peace education to break the culture of violence against women
• Punish perpetrators of violence against women
• Focus on the rehabilitation of women victims of violence.

For women to be fully dignified they must have equality, freedom, peace, justice, solidarity and democracy. They must not be exploited or degraded.

Have these things happened?
We must hold our leaders accountable to their promises!!

SHONA

Mugabe akavimbisa kuchengetedza kodzero dzemadzimai! Asi ari kuzviita here??
Akasangana nevamwe vakuru vedzimwe nyika Robert Mugabe akabvuma "PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA" musi wa16 November 2001 kuti kodzero dzese dzemadzimai ese dzakachengetedzwa.

Nokubvuma izvi, Robert Mugabe akavimbisa zvinotevera:

• Kuregedza rusarura remadzimai
• Kuremekedzeka kwemadzimai
• Kuchengetedza kodzero dzoupenyu hwemadzimai

Mugabe akavimbisa kuti achaita zvinotevera:

• Kudzivirira nekurambidza rukasha mumadzimai pachena ne pakavandika
• Kukurudzira dzidziso yorunyararo kupedza chinyakare chokurwisa madzimai
• Rangai vanhu vaita utsinye nehukasha kumadzimai
• Tarisiro nekuchengetedza madzimai akarwadziswa

Kuremekedza madzimai vakafanira kuwana kuenzana, rusununguko, runyararo, justice, kubatana ne democracy. Vanhukadzi havafaniri kubatwa nenzira inodzikisira hunhu hwavo.

Zvakaitika here zvese izvi??
Vakafanira kupindura pavatadza kuchengetedza vimbiso dzavo!!

NDEBELE

UMugabe wathembisa ukugcina amalungelo abomama! Kodwa uyakwenza yini lokhu?
Ehlangene labakhokeli bamanye amazwi uRobert Mugabe wavuma "PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA" mhlaka 16 November 2001 ukuthi amalungelo wonke abomama agcinakele.

Ngokuvuma loku uRobert Mugabe wathembisa okulandelayo.

• Ukuyekela ukwehlukanisa omama
• Ukuhlonipheka kwabomama
• Ukugcina amalungelo okuphila kwabomama

UMugabe wathembisa ukuthi uzakwenza lokhu okulandelayo:

• Ukuvikela lokwalela udlakela kwabomama egcekeni loba ensitha
• Ukukhuthaza imfundiso yokwephela indulo yodlakela kubomama
• Ukujezisa abenza udlakela kubomama
• Kukhangelelwe ukugcinakala kuhle kwabomama abahlukuluziweyo

Ukuze omama bahlonipheke ngokugcweleyo kumele bathole ukulingana, inkululeko ukuthula, ukwahlulelwa, ukuzwelana loku kubaluleka. Benga setshenziswa njalo bengeyiswa.

Kuyenzakala lokhu na??
Kumele inkokheli zethu ziphendule lapho abehluleka khona ukugcina izithembiso zabo!!

For more info on WOZA, write: Box FM701, Famona, Bulawayo
Telephone (+263) 11-213-885 / 91 300 456 / 23 514 895 Telefax 9-63978
Email: woza@mango.zw

For progress reports on the day, please call:

• Crisis Coalition (+263) 4-442988 Harare or mobile (+263)91 288 605
  email: info@crisis.co.zw
• Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (+263) 4-706981 email: zlhr@icon.co.zw
  

For the Shona and Ndebele translation of this email and full ratified Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (or click here for the Kubatana.net link) please email woza@mango.zw

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

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