WUNRN
Betty
Makoni, Founder & Director of the Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe,
recently launched the Zimbabwe Rape Survivors Association (ZRPS),
Brief
background
The violence that
characterized the presidential run off elections left a trail of disaster in
Although much is
said, written and supported for well known urbanized networks and so called
experts and human rights defenders, the facts lie bare but hidden that the real
activists and women who fought in the trenches in
What came out straight was the fact that the
women were and are still traumatized,
insecure, homeless and have become laughing stocks in their communities and
even though these were women at battlefields and endured such traumatic
experiences history books will exclude them.
The Zimbabwean Women Rape Survivors movement was conceived in Gaborone,
Botswana after women gave testimonies to a group of to AIDS Free World and
Lawyers from Canada and had their evidence documented and preserved, however
being aware at the fact that the road to
justice is long and winding, they strongly feel that speaking out on their
cases is therapeutic but having to f=go home and face the perpetrators needs
all women to be united, come up with security measures as well as
rehabilitating themselves into families and ensuring that they create the
critical social economic and political systems to help them claim their
spaces. The women who were raped
although illiterate, poor and marginalized and not on mainstream development
person show that they are the unsung heroines, Memory Sithole is their leader,
young and passionate and just looking at her no-one would believe that she is
the one who gave them shelter, counseled them made sure genital wounds are
treated and heal. She wiped off tears
and walked the path to
It is against such
inspirational activism that is less documented during conflict that Zimbabwean Rape survivors wishes to announce its formal
existence on 11 September 2008 .This is announced against the background that
no such initiative exists in Zimbabwe and the region and if anything the women
will unite on this issue to name and shame perpetrators who one day must face
justice and signal to the whole world that victims do not die so but they have
power to unleash their potential and take charge of themselves
Why the
To rebuild
confidence in the women, enabling them to fully rehabilitate themselves in
society and enjoy their democratic rights.
The association, which works closely with AIDS Free World, also seeks to
break the silence around rape as a weapon of war , by the marginalized
Zimbabwean women who are suffering in agony, enabling them to stand up and
speak out for the World to not only
understand the Zimbabwean Situation but to do something about it.
The association
envisions a country where women freely enjoy their democratic rights rather
than being used as sex weapons in perpetrating violence any time an election is
held in
Our mission is to
maximize the protection, trauma counseling and access to justice and services
women post election violence rape
survivors’ rights particularly in rural and marginalized areas of
Zimbabwean women have been at pains and looking for a platform and forum to break silence on politically motivated sexual violence. During the war of liberation they were used as sex objects whose importance were to serve Zimbabwean soldiers at any time they would have been commanded to do so.
Sexual Violence in
During the
Gukurahundi which was again state sponsored violence directed towards the
minority Ndebele people and to date
hundreds of women tell stories of having been used as sex objects . Like in 2008 and all the years before women
and girls were gang raped in the process, some having to endure the burden of
raising families alone as their husbands were murdered by the ruthless
regime. The regime at that time was
thwarted women’s rights who did not have
the same links like today and they
failed to stand up and break the silence.
Again people were killed, raped and their homes.
In March 2008 the
elections were violent free and so they participated but little did the
women know by exercising their
constitutional and democratic rights they were exposing themselves to a
ruthless and oppressive government that had organized systematic murder, rape
and torture in order to wipe away the suspected opposition members .Raping
women would result in them weakened and living
in fear of being infected by HIV and AIDS as well as traumatized.
Torture Bases were created in rural areas where youth militias and war veterans
were deployed to further do whatever necessary to wipe away any opposition
elements from children to women and this was against an argument that a child
of a snake is a snake and a male snake is no different from a female snake and
that is why women were raped in the event that youth militia found no man or
boy they were looking for. Girls as
young as 10 were abducted by the militias to these torture bases where they
were forced to attend night vigils
singing and dancing all right through after which they were raped and physical
assaulted to cow them into submission. One young girl aged 19 from Buhera in Manicaland was abducted taken to a torture base where she stayed for 5 days
being gang raped but had nowhere to report .
Zimbabwean women
have been at pains and looking for a platform and forum to break silence on
politically motivated sexual
violence. During the war of liberation
they were used as sex objects whose importance were to serve Zimbabwean soldiers
at any time they would have been commanded to do so.
Sexual Violence in
Zimbabwe dates back to the liberation war before 1980 where militia bases
existed where horrible stories of sexual violence are being told in women`s
circles even to date with many women who were gang raped then not able to tell
their children who impregnated them. No one case has been exposed and brought
to book.
During the
Gukurahundi which was again state sponsored violence directed towards the
minority Ndebele people and to date
hundreds of women tell stories of having been used as sex objects . Like in 2008 and all the years before women
and girls were gang raped in the process, some having to endure the burden of
raising families alone as their husbands were murdered by the ruthless
regime. The regime at that time was
thwarted women’s rights who did not have
the same links like today and they
failed to stand up and break the silence.
Again people were killed, raped and their homes.
In March 2008
little did the women know by exercising
their constitutional and democratic rights they were exposing themselves to a
ruthless and oppressive government that had organized systematic murder, rape
and torture in order to wipe away the suspected opposition members .Raping
women would result in them weakened and living
in fear of being infected by HIV and AIDS as well as traumatized.
Torture Bases were created in rural areas where youth militias and war veterans were deployed to
further do whatever necessary to wipe away any opposition elements from
children to women and this was against an argument that a child of a snake is a
snake and a male snake is no different from a female snake and that is why
women were raped in the event that youth militia found no man or boy they were
looking for. Girls as young as 10 were
abducted by the militias to these torture bases where they were forced to attend night vigils singing and
dancing all right through after which they were raped and physical assaulted to
cow them into submission. One young girl aged 19 from Buhera in Manicaland was abducted taken to a torture base where she stayed for 5 days
being gang raped but had nowhere to report .
The run-up to the
historical June 27 Presidential runoff was then characterized by human rights
violation and ZANU PF used any oppressive system they thought was necessary to
instill fear in the people in the people of Zimbabwean Torture Bases were
created in rural areas were militias and war veterans were deployed to further
violate the constitutional enshrined human rights. Girls as young as 10 were abducted by the
militias to these torture bases where they were forced to attend night vigils
signing and dancing all right through after which they faced several physical
and sexual abused. One young woman from Buhera in Manicaland was abducted to a
tortured base where she stayed for 5 days being gang raped but had nowhere to
report to as the police officer’s had lost their efficiency in service
delivery. They had become partisan to an
extend that thousands of women suffered silently.
Now the women are
desperate as in their undergarments they have pain and issues sexual cannot be
easily brought to the fore .They have lost virtually everything from marriages
to material possessions to self esteem and confidence. The pain the endure will
last for years to come and unless and until they stand up for themselves no one
else will because even the best doctors and activists are so terrified by the
youth militia that they would never want to be known for any reason that they
assisted the women because the retribution would catastrophic. So what makes
the situation of the women worse is the fact that those trying to help them
play hide and sick which in any way traumatizes the women more
After they gave
evidence to AIDS FREE WORLD and the lawyers the women feel more convinced than
ever that they have only them selves to turn to and hence the apparent need to
come up with this initiative that stands to be a solidarity for each other as
well as an advocacy platform for justice. There are many organizations that
want to bring
Urgent needs of the
women
During the brief stay in
1.Justice
–that the perpetrators of rape be brought to book. They
felt relieved and rejuvenated after giving evidence to AIDS FREE WORLD
2.Security-for one man who came with his
wife ,he felt the intimidation and mocking that they raped his wife has
resulted in more trauma. The fact that the youth militia still haunt the women
and threaten them needs temporary relocation to be done.
3.Transit cum safe house-There
is need for temporary shelter where the women can heal as was the case in
Botswana .For women who still feel extreme fear there is a shelter for them in
Botswana to heal and start again .There has been such a space since the
violence started .The women must be assisted to be the leaders they were
4Counseling and training in trauma-given
the fact that the women have been so strong one gets a feeling that if good
counseling and rape trauma trainers come aboard they will leave them with
skills and knowledge to better help themselves. The women also feel they can be
trained to help other women and girls preserve evidence
5.Provision of basic needs like blankets,
water, food and medication is key but in the long run there is need to find out
what self help projects can do to help themselves. There are some women who
want to purse education and they must be assisted to do so
6.Medical follow up on HIV and AIDS and
other reproductive related illnesses is key
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