Towards a Conducive Environment for Women HRDs 45 of the public health sector. As a passionate advocate of children’s health rights, Bonde has been encouraging religious sects that deny children access to healthcare to abandon the practice. She believes lack of political will is undermining progressive health rights embraced in the new Constitution: “It's time to walk to the talk.” Dr Frances Lovemore is Medical Director of the Counselling Services Unit (CSU) which provides medical and rehabilitative services for victims of violence and torture. The United Nations Convention against Torture mandates that all victims of torture have the right to restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. Over the last 15 years, CSU has developed an integrated and holistic service encompassing all rights for all victims of torture in Zimbabwe. The development of this service has required vision and commitment – and often professional isolation – as the definition of torture is not easily accepted by the state or health professionals, who consequently are not committed to the rights of the victims. Dr Lovemore says “I have a team of professional and support staff who are dedicated to all aspects of the rights of victims and give their all to deliver these rights, and this, coupled with the resilience of the human spirit as evidenced in survivors who are able to continue with their lives and the privilege of working with extraordinary people, is what keeps me dedicated to the work.” 4.7 Sexual and reproductive rights activists Martha Tholanah’s everyday work is to fight for the rights of marginalised groups: a mission she has pursued with bravery in the face of arrests, prosecution and adversity from Zimbabwe’s patriarchal society. A trained family therapy counsellor, she works with young women living with HIV to assert their rights and challenge political and social stereotypes imposed by Zimbabwe’s male dominated political leadership. At Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Tholanah is involved in health programmes and advocacy work to create a safe space for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) community, whose members are a constant target for/of harassment by state and non-state actors spurred by a political leadership that routinely spews hate language against the LGBTI community. The GALZ office is regularly raided and members are subject to regular harassment. According to Tholanah: “By honouring my work we recognise the human dignity and spirit of every person. My wish is that the violence and discrimination in Zimbabwe finally stop, and that all people will come together to end discrimination against marginalised communities.” Tholanah’s activism is a powerful example of a straight ally standing in solidarity with LGBTI people despite threats to her own safety and security. She also demonstrates extraordinary leadership on behalf of other marginalised communities, fighting for women’s rights, disability rights and sex worker’s rights, both locally an internationally. General homophobia and restrictive laws make it difficult for LBGTI people in Zimbabwe to feel safe about being open about their sexuality in public spaces and so the community is not yet ready to march onto the streets in numbers and celebrate “gay pride”. Winnet Shamuyarira is a sexual and reproductive rights activist. Shamuyarira knows how it feels to be arrested just for being a woman. In her own words: “I have been arrested twice, allegedly for loitering for the purposes of prostitution. And the only reason I was arrested on both occasions is because I am a woman. The incidents stirred in me an awareness that in Zimbabwe, as a woman, I am still treated as a minor with no control over my body. The events showed me how patriarchy works and how it needs to be challenged.” As programmes