1. INTRODUCTION
Violence against women and children is a common phenomenon in Zimbabwe. It occurs, both in the
private and public spheres, catalysed by a number of factors that stem from the way in which society is
structured. These factors include culture, tradition, religion, politics, and the economy. These factors
contribute to shaping societal perceptions of why violence against women occurs, how society perceives
the victim and the perpetrator, and how society responds to address cases of violence against women.
Amidst all the other forms of violence against women such as wife battering and ritual killings, rape is
becoming an increasing social ill in Zimbabwean society.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), ‘Quarterly Digest of Statistics,’ there
has been incremental rising in the number of reported incidences of rape. The total increased from 3,481
in 2009 to 4,450 in 2010, 5,446 in 2011, and an alarming 2,195 cases between January and May of 2012
only.1 470 of these cases were recorded in May 2012 alone.2 Fifteen (15) women are raped in Zimbabwe
every day - one in every 90 minutes.3
These statistics resonate with the reports by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) that in a period of 10
months (January to October 2012), 2,450 children had been raped countrywide, with neighbours
responsible for 41% of the rape cases.4 Related to this, reports have indicated that rape of juveniles’ cases
increased from 2,883 in 2010 to 3,172 in 2011.5 Previously, in 2009, the Family Support Trust Clinic6 had
reported that it had treated 30,000 girls and boys, victims of sexual violence over a period of 4 years,
meaning that at least 20 children were sexually abused in a day.7
Since 2009, the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) has extensively documented politically motivated
rape as a form of violence against women,8 highlighting the use of rape and sexual violence as a political
tool in the communities, with women’s bodies targeted as the battlefields. 9 The reports and
documentaries were based on surveys, interviews, focus discussion groups, and desk research. RAU’s
research in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) in
2010 also saw detailed legal and medical interviews conducted with 25 respondents, all women victims of
politically motivated rape.10 Such rape was targeted against them because they were women, vulnerable
and easy targets, both because of their own political affiliations and/or that of their husbands or relatives.
The forms of sexual violence that the women experienced ranged from extreme violence, gang rape, and
1
ZIMSTAT (2012), Quarterly Digest of Statistics, Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZimStat), 2nd Quarter, July 2012 p.17/121.
ZIMSTAT (2012), Quarterly Digest of Statistics, Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZimStat), 2nd Quarter, July 2012 p.17/121.
3
ZIMSTAT (2012), Quarterly Digest of Statistics, 2nd Quarter, Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZimStat), July 2012.
4
The Herald (2012), Rape: When society lets kids down, 26 December 2012.
5
ZBC News (2012), Rape of Juveniles on the increase http://www.zbc.co.zw/news-categories/crime-a-courts/18097-rape-of-juveniles-onthe-increase.html ZBC News, 30 March 2012.
6
The Clinic was set up in 2009 as a special mechanism to cater for the health and psychosocial needs of sexually abused children. The
Clinic was supported by development partners to the government of Zimbabwe and commissioned by the then Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare. This is explained in Euna Makamure, The Efficacy of the Family Support Trust, (FST) Post Rape Counselling for girl children
aged 3 to 12 years in Harare Zimbabwe, A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Masters in Women’s
Law, Southern and Eastern African Regional Centre for Women’s Law (SEARCWL) , University of Zimbabwe, 2010, p.10.
7
Brian Hungwe(2009) Abused generation,
Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/2009/11/091109_zim_child_abuse.shtml. BBC News, 9 November 2009.
See also D. Smith(2009) Child rape epidemic in Zimbabwe, available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/09/child-sexualassault-epidemic-zimbabwe The Guardian, 9 November 2009
8
RAU (2011) Politically Motivated Rape in Zimbabwe, Report Produced by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) April 2011; RAU (2010),
Preying on the Weaker Sex: Political Violence Against Women in Zimbabwe. Report produced by IDASA (An African Democracy Institute),
the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), and the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) October 2010. HARARE: RESEARCH &
ADVOCACY UNIT; Forced Concubinage in Zimbabwe, Research and Advocacy Unit, December 2011.
99
RAU (2011) Politically Motivated Rape in Zimbabwe, Report Produced by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) April 2011 HARARE:
RESEARCH & ADVOCACY UNIT.
10
RAU (2010), No Hiding Place: Politically Motivated Rape of Women in Zimbabwe, Report Produced by the Research and Advocacy Unit
(RAU) and the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), December 2010.
2