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Girl Child Network commemorates International Women's Day
Girl Child Network
February 25, 2005

Our theme in line with the International Theme:

"The Ritual Murder and Rape of girls and women in the wake of HIV and AIDS" for we believe that
"Girls are the future women, the present women were once girls. Let us empower them"

Overview
All over the world, March 8 has come to be recognized as the International Women's Day. International Women's Day (IWD) is a tale of ordinary women as makers of history. Girl Child Network (GCN) joins the rest of the world in commemorating this important day and invites everyone. This is a day when women bridge national economic, ethnic, cultural and political divides and convene together as one unified force and place their demands for significant improvement in the quality of their lives. International Women's Day gives women an opportunity to reflect on the even longer and perhaps more challenging journey ahead towards gender justice. It is rooted in the centuries old struggles of women to participate in society on equal footing with men. With Girl Child Network, the woman starts with a girl and that is why we put emphasis on commemorating the day.

Theme: Fighting rape and ritual murders of girls and women
Girl Child Network has chosen this year's theme to be 'Fighting rape and ritual murder of women and girls' in line with this year's theme, "Women, girls and HIV and AIDS." This came about upon the realization that the prevalence of rape and murder for ritual purposes is on the rise. Early January this year, Patricia Jeremiah (23) from Chitungwiza was raped by a traditional healer's aid and later murdered by the traditional healer himself, Gurundoro for ritual purposes. The traditional healer slit open Patricia's throat to collect blood and took her private parts for ritual purpose. The Girl Child Network Director, Betty Makoni who has championed in the campaign against child abuse condemned this as barbaric and ruthless. This and other cases of late has been rampant in Zimbabwe. There are many girls and women who are reported to be missing and their whereabouts have not yet been established. Could they also have fallen prey to these rapes and ritual murders?

Apart from awareness campaigns on rape of women and girls laws and policies have to be more preventative

Reasons for ritual murder and rape of women and girls
In our findings we have so far concluded that a lot more men rape girls and women because of recent manufactured myths whose origins manifest with some traditional and faith healers.

• Pure blood of a virgin girl cures HIV and AIDS
• Raping little girls makes one rich. In Penhalonga one Mudhauri raped six girls all aged six and below reason being he was told he would get money to get minibus by a female n`anga only known as Maria from Border Mozambique
• Breasts of a young woman bring one money, just as much as breast milk comes out, money does the same in a business
• Any part of a beautiful girl put in shops attracts customers, just as much as a beautiful girl attracts men
• Some rapists confessed it just happened like that and to them it is regrettable
• A lot more men believe that if you rape a girl you murder her to conceal the crime
• Some men believe having sex with a virgin prevents HIV and AIDS and naturally little girls are virgins and safety nets for men
• Clitoris or any genital part of a virgin girl mixed with certain herbs boosts a men's potency and the only way to get such parts is through murder

Read a recent memo to the Ministry of Justice about the plight of women and girls especially on pending rape cases from Girl Child Network which is still getting the so much needed attention.

Unless and until we put in place a strictly Child Sexual Offences Act as proposed already by Girl Child Network, other child rights and women`s organizations and the Ministry of Gender, that is more preventative then the efforts to educate without punitive measures in some instances falls short. As a country we should make sure that rapists, murderers, cattle rustlers are punished the same. If this is not done the rapists will have the false belief that raping is a lesser crime than cattle rustling as indeed just recently we bear testimony that cattle rustlers are getting more than 40 years imprisonment. Even the awareness campaigns and other community efforts on rape against girls will go to nil. We need a more holistic way of addressing rampant sexual abuse of women and girls.

Many girl children are being sexually abused daily as traditional healers have prescribed virgins' blood as the possible cure for HIV and AIDS. The same women have become victims of rape as men pounce on them like vultures just to ascertain their supremacy. Both girls and women have also been unfortunate in being the recipients of rape and murder. Traditional healers have set the grounds for ritual murdering as they convince people that some of their problems may be a thing of the past if they use women's private parts. The hypocrisy of it all is frightening. In 2004 also a 6 year old girl from Norton was raped and murdered and her private parts were found missing.

GCN envisages a society where girls enjoy their economic, social and political rights and become future women walking in the fullness of their potential. Against a background of rampant rape and ritual murders of women and girls linked to HIV and AIDS ravaging the society, GCN joins the rest of the world in supporting the empowerment of girls to save future women from going extinct. Rape of girls compromises and reverses the achievements we have made so far, oriented in advancing the rights of women and girls. Betty Makoni Director of GCN carried out a Gender Based Violence Desk Study of Girl Child Network from 1998-2004 and the results are appalling and a mockery to the human race. Rape and murder of girls and women for ritual purposes is on the rise and there is need for effective and efficient measures to curb the menace before it goes out of hand.

The situation of girls can be attributed to the patriarchal cultures and traditions entrenched through institutions such as some religions and traditions that have kept girls and women out. The church today has become the most patriarchal of all as it continues to suppress the girl child. Some churches have doctrines like virginity testing, sexual initiation ceremonies for young girls and early marriages, which hinder development and the empowerment of the girl child. GCN is calling upon all Zimbabwean women and girls as well as men and boys to commemorate IWD on the 8th of March and design effective intervention strategies that will curb rape and the murdering of women for ritual purposes. It is a mammoth task to try and change some of these abusive practices overnight but lets all go through the process of ensuring a safe environment for women and girls that enable them to contribute to the development of the nation.

Do men and boys have a role to play on the IWD?
Men are also invited because gender concerns itself with the needs to alter unjust power relations that exist between men and women. The focus on men is crucial because they are active players whose collaboration is required to enforce women's subjugation. Men should view themselves as part of the problem and therefore should take responsibility to become part of the solution.

Visit the Girl Child Network fact sheet

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