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ZSF statement on National Women's Day celebrations
Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum (ZSF)
August 09, 2008
The Zimbabwe Solidarity
Forum in South Africa joins women's organizations, civil society
organizations and the rest of the nation in celebrating the National
Women's Day.
Despite fundamental gaps
and challenges faced by South African women, Women's Day is
more than just remembering the 1956 Women's March against
the oppressive apartheid laws and the sterling role women played
in liberating South Africa and contributing immensely in the democratic
process of this country. It is a day where all South Africans reflect
on the challenges facing all South African women, evaluate progress
made in creating a truly non-sexist society and conditions for women
emancipation, empowerment, equality including eradication of gender
based violence and poverty.
However, as we pay tribute
and salute heroines who left a legacy of courage, sacrifice and
determination in pursuit of the noble goal of equality, freedom
and justice for all, as we ask ourselves as to what more should
be done to end all forms of South African women abuse and violence
against children, including rape, impoverishment and underdevelopment
let us recall vividly the trials and tribulations women of Zimbabwe
in South Africa and in Zimbabwe are facing at the moment.
Zimbabwean women in South
Africa are going through a lot of challenges. They were the recipients
of the greater burden of the recent xenophobic attacks, are being
sexually abused for example by being systematically forced into
the South African sex industry, are being used as a source of cheap
labor in the South African job market, denied of the right to basic
medication, education and shelter. It's even worse for those
who are expecting and those that are living with HIV and AIDS. Nevertheless,
this is not only confined to the Zimbabwean women living in South
Africa but to all non-South African women regardless of their status.
For the Zimbabwean
women who have opted to remain within the borders of Zimbabwe, life
has become a gruesome experience. Women and children in Zimbabwe
are prime casualties of violence and disorder. Through state-sponsored
violence, excruciating suffering at individual, family and community
level have been exerted on the people of Zimbabwe. In the long run,
this has resulted in the dispersal of people, total collapse of
the economy, crumbling of essential social and utility service,
sickness, hunger and starvation. More intriguing, is the destruction
of social and moral fibre and trust as women have been raped by
the own sons and male relatives during the elections period. Families
have been destroyed and some women have and are still fleeing the
country while many have simply been lost in the mayhem. Quiet disturbing
as well, are burials of victims of violence on daily basis and overwhelming
reports of casualties that we continue to receive from coctors and
lawyers for human rights in Zimbabwe.
In the case of Zimbabwe,
there are three categories of traumatized women. Firstly, there
exist women who are direct victims of torture, beatings, battering,
assaults and rape, secondly, those that are being forced to attend
Zanu PF 're-education' meetings or to wear Zanu PF regalia
or are simply victims economic woes and have lost their sources
of incomes and jobs and are therefore struggling to put food on
the table for their families, and the third group consists of human
rights defenders, brave enough to stand against state injustices
and all forms of violence. Apart from facing all other challenges,
and arrests, some have simply disappeared and or are in hiding since
the March 2008 Zimbabwe elections. Sadly enough, those that purport
to represent the masses of Zimbabwe including the suffering women
have deviated from a mass or civic movement that takes into considerations
broader consultations of the people on issues of governance, to
forge alliance with the anti-poor and dictatorial Harare government.
Ironically, at the centre
stage of women suffering in Zimbabwe are men. Instead of protecting
their own society some men in Zimbabwe have opted to destroy that
which supports their very existence. A lot needs to be done and
the struggle for re emancipation, re empowerment and liberation
of women of Zimbabwe can not be complete without the meaningful
participation of Zimbabwean men. This applies to Africa as a whole.
There is a need for men who are conscious of creating and entrenching
the ethos of equality and non-sexism.
Our solidarity for the
women and general people of Zimbabwe should shift away from mere
rhetoric statements to practical actions. Defending the rights of
the marginalized women of Zimbabwe in South Africa, sharing the
little that we have with them and recognizing them as a source of
productive skills, deserving a better wage reward, and respect can
be a starting point. Men, advancing archaic patriarchal tendencies
must be a thing of the past. South African Women's Organizations
can link up with Zimbabwean Women's organizations; mobilize
resources such as food packages and sanitary basics for the women
of Zimbabwe. This has been attempted at one point or another but
intensifying this form of solidarity will be welcome by the women
of Zimbabwe.
The struggle
for freedom by women of Zimbabwe is a struggle for all. The emancipation
and empowerment of South African women will remain incomplete until
the total freedom of women in the region is achieved. Insights on
challenges facing women in Zimbabwe provided by Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).
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