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Women's human rights defenders awards
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
July 30, 2011

A question has been posed why the need to form an organization by female lawyers for the advancement and protection of women's rights. This came about as an observation of the vast challenges women still face, and its belief that Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) has a duty to help them.

"Women have suffered under various economic and socio-political challenges alongside men. They've also had to cope with discriminatory laws and deeply entrenched gender inequality". For this reason, ZWLA acknowledges and honours the women and men who are working at local, regional and global level to advocate for women's rights as well as working tirelessly to defend women.

Today ZWLA conferred the third annual Women's Human Rights Defenders Awards to human rights defenders who have been working at different levels of activism. The winner of the award is Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda and the runner up is Alec Muchadehama.

Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda works at the global level, under the YWCA, organizing and formulating policy. She is a trained human rights lawyer who has vast experience in women's human rights and conflict resolution. With over 15 years of work in crisis countries focusing on violence against women and girls. Nyaradzayi once served as an interim coordinator for ZWLA. She is a holder of a Masters Degree in Private Law from The University of South Africa, and post graduate training in conflict resolution from Uppsala University, Sweden.

During her 10 years of work with the United Nations, Nyaradzayi significantly contributed to the integration of gender equality in peace and security negotiation processes and post conflict reconstruction especially for Sudan, Northern Uganda and Somalia. She was behind advocacy initiatives, which subsequently led to the adoption of the Protocol on Sexual and Gender Based Violence for the Great Lakes Region.

Nyaradzayi was the Zimbabwean nominee for consideration for the position of head of UN Women in 2010, and recognition for her work in women's rights. She was recently appointed the President of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women /Geneva. A founder of Rozaria Memorial Trust-Zimbabwe, she combines her global advocacy work with practical interventions in communities.

Alec Muchadehama, the runner up, is a practitising lawyer who has been in private practice since 1991. His law firm has been operating since 2001. Alec has been the key defender for the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a local women activists organization in the several times that they have been arrested for their peaceful demonstrations against women's human rights violations. He has also represented various Human Rights Defenders facing arbitrary arrests and he is currently representing Munyaradzi Gwisai and other activists who were charged with treason which was later amended. Alec has also represented various members of the Movement For Democratic Change - T (MDC - T) arrested during incidents of politically motivated violence, some of whom included women. He has thus done significant advocacy for women's human rights in Zimbabwe. In light of the political environment in Zimbabwe ahead of the elections, Alec's work will significantly safeguard the peace and security interests of women in pre and post election period. Alec Muchadehama's nomination is significant as it is a clear case of a male lawyer who has championed for women's peace and security rights and ZWLA recognizes this valuable contribution.

Mary Ndlovu Mary Ndhlovu is a consultant who has previously worked in the area of education, policy and research, law, in Zimbabwe, Zambia, London, Malawi. Her academic, law and policy background has enabled her to significantly contribute to initiative that has advanced women's position in the area of education, law and policy in the countries listed above. Mary's work has significantly contributed towards the curriculum development of one of ZWLA's strategic partners, the Legal Resources Foundation and one for the training of paralegals in Malawi. Mary has also previously evaluated ZWLA Bulawayo's Children's Desk Programme in 2006. She has actively participated in advocacy and lobbying initiatives by the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) . She has also contributed towards academic research in the areas of women's law through her active participation in the lecture series offered by one of ZWLA's strategic sister organization, the Women's Law Centre.

The award ceremony also recognized law students who have and continue to show excellence in their studies of women's law. The top student for 2009 was Fadzai Mamvura, and Belinda Chinowawa was the runner up. For 2010 the top student was Noreen Muchena, and Natsai Machekano was the runner up.

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