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Women’s agenda - How they reported about us and our issues
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
September 01, 2013

ZWLA learnt with outrage the harassment and intimidation of some of MDC supporters as reported in Daily News of 12 August, “Its hell after Elections”. ZWLA expresses concern over such threats and actions and calls upon the police and relevant authorities to guarantee the safety and security especially of women and children as mandated by the constitution of Zimbabwe.

ZWLA’s reading of the newspaper revealed a worrying trend of increased domestic violence and “crimes of passion”, which have resulted in women dying at the hands of their boyfriends or husbands. According to The Herald of 26 August 2013, the first half of the year saw Police recording 263 murders to domestic disputes. ZWLA takes this opportunity to urge women from all walks of life, to have zero tolerance for any form of violence and to use the law to protect themselves from violence. We also urge the Judiciary to mete out stiffer penalties to perpetrators of domestic violence who violate provisions of their protection orders.

Continued reports of minors as rapists and sexual offenders reveal a worrying trend, of a culture of sexual violence being tolerated and ‘normalised’ by Zimbabwean society. ZWLA urges parents and guardians not to entrust young male relatives or neighbours to look after their children, as boys as young as 15 have turned rapist. The Herald of 30 August 2013 reports of a 15 year old boy who raped a tenant’s eight year old daughter. Parents, please guard your children jealously.

August is the month when post-election analysis was carried out from all quarters of the society. As ZWLA, our biggest concern after the elections is the position of women in the new government. Given the under representation of Women in the previous Cabinet which was 12 out of 69 Ministers, we are concerned that there is a disconnect between law and practice. With a few days left to the appointment of a new Cabinet, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association would like to urge the Presidency to ensure more women are appointed as cabinet Ministers and also represented in positions of authority in Local Government, in line with equality clauses in the new constitution.

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