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Violence against women soars
Melody Mbira, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
March 15, 2005

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=41612&pubdate=2005-03-15

The Beijing Conference held in China in 1994 was met with pomp and fanfare, because it was perceived as an event that was to herald women's total emancipation from all forms of discrimination.

To millions of women across the racial, social, economic and political divide, the conference signalled the dawn of a new era where their concerns, among them domestic violence and all forms of abuse were to be addressed.

It, therefore, came as no surprise when women the world over, together with their governments, adopted the plan of action from the conference in its totality.

Some countries even went a step further and created gender ministries that were expected to handle all issues on women.

Governments in most countries seemed to have acknowledged the fact that women's rights were human rights and needed to be safeguarded.

However, exactly 10 years after the much-publicised conference took place, women in Zimbabwe and the region continue to bear the brunt of all forms of violence.

Several laws, promulgated in the country, are all indicating towards the emancipation and protection of women, but violence against women continues to increase at an alarming rate.

Rape cases are overwhelming the courts while domestic violence, where women are victims, have also become the order of the day.

Gang-rapes and brutal murders of defenceless women have also increased drastically in the past few years.

The girl child has become more vulnerable to sexual violence because more fathers are turning against their own daughters leaving them with no one to protect them.

Statistics made available to this paper by some women's rights organisations show that most rape cases being committed against young girls involve male relatives or someone known to the family.

This has left the girl child with no one to turn to, as most mothers are often silent about the rape cases in an effort to protect themselves from physical harm and sometimes to save their marriages.

Such a harsh world has characterised the lives of many women and girls in the country, who, owing to their vulnerability have become targets for all forms of abuses, mainly sexual.

Incidents of defilement, physical assault and indecent assault of women are continuing at an alarming rate.

A 23-year-old Chitungwiza woman was in January this year kidnapped, raped before she was murdered in cold blood, allegedly by a well-known traditional healer and his two aides for ritual purposes.

Another woman was last week found dead in a maize field in Waterfalls with an empty beer bottle inserted in her private parts.

Police have since confirmed that she was gang-raped before being murdered under unknown circumstances.

A four-man gang reportedly raped a Mutare woman before they inserted a stick into her private parts leaving her for dead.

A 35-year-old HIV-positive man from Plumtree last month pleaded guilty to raping his 53-year-old mother.

In another incident, a Kwekwe man was last week sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping his niece while a prominent former footballer, Cheche Billiart, was given 15 years for raping his daughter.

A Bindura woman was last week axed to death by her husband after being accused of having an extramarital affair while a Harare man early this year shot dead his wife before committing suicide over an unknown misunderstanding.

Such cases of cruelty have become rampant with some going unreported for different reasons.

Often, the culprit may be a close relative in the case of rape and indecent assault, placing the woman in a serious dilemma whether or not to seek justice.

In some instances, the perpetrator may not only be a close relative, but also a breadwinner, forcing the victim not to report the case at all, because the incarceration of the breadwinner could mean an end to household income.

There are also cases where the woman may not report the case, fearing humiliation from having to demonstrate in public how she was sexually assaulted, and prove beyond doubt that she did not try to seduce the attacker.

While all arms of the law have indeed realised the need to descend on rapists and other abusers, no one seems to have a clue on the reason for the increase in violence against women.

Some social commentators said the rise in domestic violence was due to forced marriages while others attributed it to the societal values and social orientation among individuals.

According to a report by the Girl Child Network (GCN), an average of three girls are raped everyday while 6 000 rape cases were reported last year alone.

Such sexually oriented violence, which in most cases results in physical and psychological damage, has haunted women in the last few years as they are now living in perpetual fear of what might befall them in the face of increasing violence especially from their male counterparts.

According to statistics released by Msasa Project last year, an average of 529 women were subjected to different forms of violence (especially physical) every month.

While men have the physical advantage over women, the latter are increasingly becoming victims of the harsh conditions in the "new" world.

One Harare woman said it was disturbing to note that owing to the prevailing harsh economic conditions, the powerful were now taking out their frustrations on the physically weak.

"In most cases of domestic violence, there is hardly substance in the misunderstandings.

"If one traces them they could discover that the root of the problems are usually outside the home and the physically advantaged sex (men) would just be taking advantage of women to relieve themselves from frustrations," said Ms Monica Muchenje, a sociology student at the University of Zimbabwe.

"Traditional values basing on the norms and beliefs in the Zimbabwean society do not really believe in divorce while some men, due to their up bringing, still believe in using violence to solve problems.

"This, as a result, has seen some women persevere even under unbearable conditions just to save unworkable marriages," Ms Muchenje said.

Research also revealed that some church sects were also in the forefront in perpetuating violence against women by forcing young girls into marriage.

"Cases of sexual violence are affecting Zimbabwe the most although emotional and physical violence are also there.

"Well-organised church syndicates are marrying off young girls who are being raped everyday under the guise of marriage," said GCN director, Mrs Betty Makoni.

Mrs Makoni also blamed some women for facilitating the increase of violence against their fellow women.

"Some wives protect their husbands and they get away with rape while the step-mother phenomenon has continued to wreak havoc in some homes resulting in the girl child (and boys in some cases) running away from home and thus becoming more vulnerable to abuse.

"Laws should be harsh on men who impose themselves on women as well as those who take advantage of their physical strength to commit physical violence against women," she said.

As much as women are now getting equal opportunities in powerful positions, a lot still needs to be done to see a secure woman who is comfortable and safe in the society.

From nurturing the boy child, women have a duty to make him understand and respect the opposite sex.

And in marriage, the principle should be upheld.

With such a situation on the ground, one wonders what deterrent measures could stop the perpetration of violence against women and create a harmonious world that respects every human being irrespective of their circumstances.

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