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Counting the cost of courage: Trauma experiences of women human rights defenders in Zimbabwe
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
August 19, 2008

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Zimbabwe is a nation in crisis, a crisis that has been on going since at least the year 2000, but probably dating from 1997, with the collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar, and the exacerbation of the socio-economic crisis. The crisis began in the political sphere and has spread to the economy and all aspects of social interaction, as ill-conceived government policies have turned peoples' lives upside down. The ability to earn a living is drastically curtailed,
basic shelter is compromised by overcrowding or deliberate destruction of housing units by government, and schooling is no longer available to many children. Bare physical survival is at risk through lack of food supplies coupled with the collapse of services, including water, sanitation and health services. Families are divided through the migration of breadwinners, and the whole of life has become a constant, debilitating struggle for the vast majority of Zimbabweans.

Any attempt by political or civic groups to press for alternative policies has been met with repression, effectively cutting off the possibility of working towards improvements in peoples' lives. The ruling party has subverted all electoral processes since 2000, the legislative process, the law enforcement, and judicial processes in favour of its own perpetual rule, with any resistance met by force, both overt and clandestine, actual and threatened. Despite
electoral reform brokered as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediation process, before the peaceful March 2008 election, a wave of violence and retribution was unleashed on citizens even before the results were announced and continued up to, and beyond, the one-candidate run-off on June 27.

In the context of the desperate situation since 2000, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has emerged as a leading rights group calling for change. It is a social justice movement engaged in nonviolent civic action to promote renewal in a politically repressive environment. They claim that their right to freedom of expression has been stifled by unconstitutional legislation, but they aim nevertheless to keep the voice of protest alive. The members demonstrate in the streets and distribute fliers and newsletters calling for government policies which honour the civil and political rights protected in the national constitution, and the economic and social rights guaranteed under international law. They have embraced a programme of peaceful civil disobedience in the face of unjust laws. As is the fate of any other group mounting protests, the women have encountered harassment, brutality and imprisonment at the hands of state agents, who act in breach of their professional and legal obligations.

A recent example of such treatment occurred on 28 May 2008 when 14 members were arrested in Harare during a peaceful procession. After 48 hours in police custody they were taken to court where the magistrate granted bail.

The state appealed against that decision to the High Court and the group was remanded in custody for the appeal period. On 10 June, Judge Hlatshwayo allowed 12 of the accused to be released, but refused bail for two leaders, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, saying it would be 'childish' to grant them bail prior to the presidential run-off. The state argued that these nonviolent human rights defenders would mobilize a Kenyan-style revolt
before the 27 June election. They were eventually granted bail after 37 days in custody. This development shows a clear increase in repression of peace activists, which is a patent echo of the brutality that has been meted out to members of the political opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) since March 2008.

Research on rights violations experienced by WOZA

In 2007 research was carried out to determine the nature and extent of violations perpetrated on WOZA members by state actors. It used a questionnaire administered verbally to more than 2,000 WOZA members by interviewers from among the WOZA membership. The major results have been detailed in a report released recently.1 They showed a high level of arrests, assaults, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, primarily by members of various sections of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

One section of the questionnaire sought to document traumatic experiences of WOZA women in order to understand the basis of possible psychological and emotional disorders arising from their civic activism - 'counting the cost of their courage'. The results of this part of the research were not included in the main report, and are rather being presented separately here.

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