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The effects of fighting repression with love - report
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
March 19, 2008

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Introduction
Although Zimbabwe has a troubled history, both pre and post-Independence, it has been in extended turmoil since the year 2000. The origin of the crisis lies in failed government policies, which have led to economic collapse and a devastating fall in the standards of living of the large majority of the population.

As a result, civil society became stronger and more vibrant and a viable political opposition was formed, both of which began demanding change of both policies and political leadership. The ruling party's response has been to revisit and intensify its repressive ways of the 1980's, stifle any criticism and frustrate any organization not enjoying its blessing. At the same time it has introduced irresponsible policies and strengthened the role of patronage to retain sufficient support to create a façade of legitimacy.

These in turn destroyed the productive bases of the economy and created massive impoverishment for all except the few beneficiaries of government's misplaced largesse. But the resulting protest by pro-democracy groupings has been met only with violence from state agents.

This report describes the violence that has been visited upon the members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a movement founded in 2003 to create a voice for women to speak out about the injustices they encounter in their every-day struggle for survival. Starting from a determination to claim their right to freedom of expression, the women identified the following as their aims:

• Provide women, from all walks of life, with a united voice to speak out on issues affecting their day-to-day lives.
• Empower female leadership that will lead community involvement in pressing for solutions to the current crisis.
• Encourage women to stand up for their rights and freedoms.
• Lobby and advocate on those issues affecting women and their families.

Working on the principles of strategic nonviolence, through peaceful civic actions, WOZA aimed to create space to allow Zimbabweans to articulate issues they have been too fearful to raise alone. Since its formation five years ago, WOZA has conducted over 100 demonstrations, peacefully marching on the streets to voice its displeasure with the political, economic, and social state of affairs in Zimbabwe. The denial of the right to social justice has motivated the women to become human rights defenders and to confront the government, demanding the internationally guaranteed rights to expression, assembly, education, health and an adequate standard of living. A report by Amnesty International concurs that many women in Zimbabwe reported that they are failing to feed their families, pay school fees or pay for medical care for themselves and their extended families. Their situation has been aggravated by the government's continual attack on their sources of income, such as the harassment of informal traders and vendors by state agents, and the constant decline in the value of the currency because of a poorly performing economy. WOZA's hallmark message is given each year on Valentine's Day, when red roses are distributed and Zimbabweans urged to choose love over the hate propaganda of the government.

The government of Zimbabwe, instead of addressing the issues that the women are protesting about, has responded by using brutal force and attacking anybody who engages in even peaceful demonstrations and protests. The members regularly experience ill treatment at the hands of the Zimbabwean police when they are arrested for what, in most democratic countries, is normal civic activity. Over 2,500 women have spent time in police custody, most more than once, willing to suffer beatings and unbearable conditions in prison cells to exercise their constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.

The violations take place in the context of a nation, which espouses a constitution that guarantees the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and is party to many international human rights instruments, which hold similar guarantees. Since 2000 it has introduced legislation and policies, which effectively deny the population the exercise of these rights, and it has subverted the justice system in such a way that the new laws can rarely be tested in the courts.

The government of Zimbabwe is thus in breach of its own constitution as well as its international law obligations when it instructs its police to assault and arrest WOZA members staging peaceful demonstrations.

In mid-2007 research was carried out to establish the nature and extent of violence experienced by WOZA women at the hands of state agents. The survey covered the period from 2000, before WOZA was formed, but also included questions relating to earlier periods in their lives, dating back to the 1970's, during the liberation war. Many of the women active today in WOZA were active in the political opposition from 2000 and suffered violations during the elections in 2000 and 2002. Many were also victims of violence during the liberation war and/or the Gukurahundi period of the mid 80's in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

The aim of the research was not only to record the violations suffered as a result of WOZA activities, but also to obtain a profile of women's experiences of organised violence in the context of Zimbabwe's violent history.

Our findings show that women pay a dear price for taking on the role of human rights defenders. While to date no death has been recorded of a WOZA woman as a direct result of WOZA activities, a high level of violence has occurred and women have suffered torture, injuries, incarceration, humiliation and trauma in order to keep their voices heard by Zimbabweans and the international community. The death of one member, Maria Moyo, can also be attributed to police action. She failed to recover after being abducted by police from her sick bed and kept in freezing conditions for over six hours while being threatened with drowning in Khami Dam.

WOZA women are of course not the only activists on the receiving end of police brutality in Zimbabwe. Opposition politicians, students, trade unionists, journalists and members of other civil society organizations have likewise been victims, often subjected to even more horrifying treatment. Together all have been a powerful voice for the victims of political mismanagement.

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