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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Index of articles surrounding the debate of the Domestic Violence Bill
UNICEF
denounces violence against women and calls on all Zimbabweans to
halt the horror
UNICEF-Zimbabwe
March 01, 2006
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_31391.html
View
the index of articles on the debate around the Domestic Violence
Bill
The United Nations
Children’s Fund today called on Zimbabwe’s political and
community leaders to campaign widely and forcefully to end the growing
tide of violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe.
UNICEF’s
call comes in support of Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Joice Mujuru,
who was responding to last week’s brutal murder of a student
by her boyfriend. The Vice President vigorously condemned gender
based violence (GBV) and any cultural practices that put the safety
of women at risk.
A combination
of an inflexible approach to cultural and traditional practices;
an economic downturn that has seen women become the chief bread
winners as men are made unemployed; together with odious beliefs
on HIV and virgins has meant gender based violence (GBV) is frighteningly
common in Zimbabwe.
Press reports
and data collected at workshops and through NGOs indicate a steep
rise in violence against women in Zimbabwe. (No hard statistical
evidence exists, although indicators and questions on GBV were included
in the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey of 2005. This will be
the first time to have documented data on GBV.)
“The crime
of domestic violence has devastating impacts on women and children
and on Zimbabwe’s development,” said UNICEF’s Representative
in Zimbabwe, Dr Festo Kavishe. “UNICEF says no, no and no to
the horrifying stories of women who go into a relationship with
high hopes and good intentions - and find themselves trapped with
men who beat, kick, rape and at times kill them.”
Zimbabwe’s
increases in gender based violence appear to arise from: (a) traditional
practices and principles that include the subjugation of women,
and that it is culturally permissible for a man to physically “discipline”
his wife and children. To correct this, UNICEF is a strong proponent
with all those calling for the acceleration of the enactment of
a law on Gender Based Violence; (b) Zimbabwe’s worsening economic
times have meant more and more women are becoming the breadwinners
(through the informal market) while the men have been forced to
remain at home. This reversal of roles leads to some men venting
their economic frustrations on women; (c) Zimbabwe has a high HIV
prevalence rate, at 20.1%, and more than half of these are women
and girls. This vulnerability is partly explained by the rape of
young girls and women in the misguided belief that if men sleep
with virgins they will be cured of their HIV status.
UNICEF strongly
supports halting domestic violence in Zimbabwe and increasing respect
for women and their key role in the country's development. In addition
to awareness raising, UNICEF works with the Ministry Of Gender in
development of a Gender Based Violence Strategy and implementation
plan (technical support); supports training of Community Based Counselors
including youths; supports life skills training in schools; supports
the development of the plan of action to implement the recommendations
of the United Nations Secretary General’s study on Women, Girl
and HIV AIDS; and is pushing for sustained campaigns with community
and religious leaders.
“Zimbabwe’s
women continue to shine in the face of great social and economic
odds,” said UNICEF’s Dr Kavishe. “They deserve our
respect and admiration, and absolute protection. We must also remember
that domestic abuse wounds children as much as women. Studies show
that children who are abused or who witness abuse are at high risk
for cognitive, emotional and developmental problems. Some take on
adult roles of trying to protect their mothers; some may themselves
engage in aggressive behaviour – and thus the seed of violence
has been planted in the next generation. That is not what any Zimbabwean
would want to do.”
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