Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Special Report Gender and Constitutional Issues VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Violence in all its forms is endemic in Zimbabwean society. In most instances violence against women occurs in the family or the community. Although there are legal provisions that guarantee protection of under-age girls from statutory rape, they are not sufficiently protected within the family or community. There also appears to be a cultural acceptance of men assaulting their wives. Violence cannot be eliminated if it is narrowly perceived as a family or personal affair. Violence denies women the right to personal development, security, respect and dignity. Public, political and domestic violence against women should be condemned by the State. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Women victims of violence shall be entitled to be treated with respect and dignity by agents such as the police, medical staff and counsellors. The police, prosecutors, magistrates and judges shall be provided with appropriate education and training in human rights and gender sensitivity to enable them to protect women victims effectively. Government should provide victims with counselling services and shelter. Government should put in place public education programmes to sensitise women and men to the fact that domestic violence violates the basic human rights of victims. Legal provisions should be made which specifically define domestic violence as a criminal offence. Rape charges should be stiffer in cases where a victim is infected with disease. The definition of rape should be expanded to include marital rape. There should be legal protection for all women against sexual harassment, all forms of abuse and assault. Sexual harassment should be made a criminal offence. WOMEN AND GOVERNANCE The participation of women in decision-making and governance is a human rights issue. Women should have the right to participate fully at all levels of political, civic and community life. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Government and all political parties should ensure equal participation of women and men and also women’s representation in all national and local legislative and decision-making bodies. Any strategies that seek to address power-sharing between women and men should target all levels of public and private life. Awareness of women’s political rights should be actively promoted. All political parties must establish a quota system and implement it within their structures and constituencies to ensure that equality of numbers is attained between female and male candidates who stand for leadership positions. Women should be equally represented at all levels of local and national government and on all policy-making boards and institutions. EDUCATION AND TRAINING The education of all citizens is essential to the proper development of the nation. Under certain practices, girl children have been denied access to education. The education of the girl child must therefore be a priority of the State and society. The State must also reprioritise its budgetary expenditures to the development of its citizens. 1. 2. 3. Every child shall have access to free, compulsory and quality education. The State shall provide free education at least through secondary school. Free and quality pre-schools shall be established for the benefit of working mothers, and for the proper intellectual, emotional and physical development of all children. The State shall institute affirmative action programmes for higher education and training institutions to rectify the historic disadvantages of female students. Affirmative action initiatives should also be enacted for the hiring of female teachers and lecturers as well as administrators to ensure the equal and full participation by women in educational policy-making and the management of educational institutions. 22