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16 days of activism against gender based violence
Merit Rumema, Self Help Development Foundation - Training & Advisory Services (SHDF-TAS)
December 05, 2006

http://www.shdf-tas.org.zw/news_article.cfm?pid=20

This year, the women’s movement commemorates 16 years of raising awareness and sensitizing communities against gender based violence.

As an organisation that works hand-in-hand with women, we have joined the campaign against gender based violence as it has been proved that it impacts negatively on development processes.

Development is about improving the quality of lives of people in all spheres, that is, socially, economically and even politically. Development is about change and transformation – about moving people from one place to a better one. It therefore requires an understanding of the gender dimensions that hinder the development process.

For sustainable development to take place there is need to recognize, respect and understand individual needs and differences within any given society, enabling participation to take place effectively. Development thus requires the understanding of how different social groups are positioned to participate, contribute and benefit from development interventions. This always adds up to whether one is male or female and how this affects their ability to speak up and be heard.

Due to cultural and some religious beliefs, Zimbabwean women have often been relegated a lesser position in the society, where they are unable to participate in decision-making and are thus unable to improve themselves as decisions are made on their behalf. Development necessarily focuses on increasing the potential of people to contribute and benefit from the development process by removing barriers to their effective participation, contribution and benefit.

Violence against women epitomises male dominance, and reflects the perception of society in the status of women in general. Not all of Zimbabwe violates women, but the stance this year is zero tolerance to any forms of violence. Gender violence affects participation, decision-making and ownership of resources, which in all the cases women are in the disadvantaged position.

Violence against women hinders their development and often that of their children. Although gender violence is not just violence perpetrated on women, this writer deliberately takes it as violence against women as statistics show that 99% of the time women are violated by men. Gender violence includes physical, emotional, psychological and economical violence.

Any of these forms of violence, whether individually or combined affect women in a lot of ways. From a developmental point of view, a battered woman cannot concentrate on her work, whether at home or in the workplace. She is also unable to control her income and use it in a manner that promotes her interests. The long and short of it is that, she does not perform her best, as her self-esteem is deteriorated. In some situation, the children, if any, are psychologically affected and perform poorly at school, affecting their chances of breaking cycles of poverty.

As we join every considerate and responsible citizen in the world in the campaign against gender based violence, we stand up and say no to physical violence, no to verbal abuse and no to emotional torture. We advocate for equal participation of the sexes whether in the home, at school and all social arenas.

The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe’s theme this year is "Use the law, end violence against women." On the global level, the theme is "Celebrate 16 years of 16 days; advance human rights-end violence against women." These two themes are advocating for an end to violence against women. Play your part as a responsible citizen.

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