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FAMWZ
expresses concern over a statement made by President Mugabe
Federation
of African Media Women of Zimbabwe (FAMWZ)
July 26, 2004
Federation of
African Media Women of Zimbabwe expresses concern over a statement
made by President Mugabe.
The Federation
of African Media Women Zimbabwe(FAMWZ) would like to bring to express
concern over a statement that was made by the President Mugabe at
the ZANU PF National Youth League Congress on the 9th of July 2004
(ZTV 8 pm News Bulletin)
Below is a verbatim
of the statement the President made on HIV and AIDS and commercial
sex work;
"better now
because there are some drugs but it does not mean because there
are drugs you must go e -"eh kuMakokoba nekuMbare kumahure
akawanda uku. Akazara nacho ivo vanhu vaye. Hatizi kutaura evakadzi
mahure evarume ariko. So beware..."; End/
FAMWZ is concerned
about the content of the statement as we feel that the President
failed to unpack the social, economic and gender dynamics of HIV
and AIDS in his statement. Statements like these fuel misconceptions
about HIV and AIDS, often leading to stigma and discrimination of
People Living with HIV and AIDS. The statement can be construed
to mean that commercial sex workers, particularly women are the
ones who spread HIV and AIDS.Society is made to believe that all
people who are HIV positive got infected because they were promiscuous.
Most often, it is women who bear the brunt of the stereotyping and
stigma associated with commercial sex work.
Below are issues
we have seen as unfair in the statement;
- Stereotyping
of Makokoba and Mbare as residential suburbs, which are the hub
of commercial sexual activities, is wrong, unfair and openly discriminates
against the residents of these two townships.
- In the statement
there is a blackout on why commercial sex work is rampant in those
residential suburbs e.g. alarming poverty rates, unemployment,
HIV and AIDS related deaths leaving youths/women as bread winners
but with no survival skills
- Commercial
sex workers are not the only players in the spread of HIV and
AIDS for everyone and anyone can spread or contract HIV and AIDS.
It is discriminatory to label commercial sex workers as the hub
of HIV and AIDS infection.
- The term
used 'kumahure'is not gender sensitive and especially when used
on a Family and National TV. This term normally refers to female
commercial sex workers in very negative light.
- The 'drugs';
that are referred to in the statement, are not accessible to many,
even fewer can afford them.
- 'Beware'
portrays a scary image of commercial sex workers as carriers of
AIDS and yet they are part of, and indeed are created by members
of the society. Stereotyping the commercial sex worker as the
carrier of HIV and AIDS only fuels the stigma attached to commercial
sex work. It is important to focus on ways to reduce the rate
of HIV transmission than to play the blame game, which often yields
little results.
We welcome comments
on how we as women can address such issues. Comments can be forwarded
to the email addresses below.
Women's
Coalition
Email:
wag@wag.org.zw
FAMWZ Communications
Department
Email:
famwz@mweb.co.zw
Visit the FAMWZ
fact
sheet
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