BY RASHWEAT MUKUNDU,
To soccer lovers the saying "you will never walk alone" is familiar as it relates to one leading soccer team in the United Kingdom, Liverpool. In Zimbabwe and in other parts of the world, this saying is infamous and carries a completely different meaning in relation to the freedoms or lack thereof, of women to walk, travel and do things on their own in the absence of male company or guardianship.
On a day-by-day basis, Zimbabwe's police on bicycles traverse the streets of Harare, targeting the Avenues area. This section of the city is famous for its nightclubs, restaurants and is known as the hub of commercial sex work.
The police target women who walk alone, or those who do not have a "convincing" explanation for their presence on the streets. This act is clear harassment of women, many of whom are discriminated because of their dressing.
A pair of tight pants or a mini skirt is a one-way ticket to the nearest police station. Otherwise, one can escape the police station by offering the police officer free sex or a USD$5 or 10 bribe.
In July 2012, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officially launched an Operation known as Chipo Chiroorwa loosely translated "Chipo, get married." The Operation aimed at ridding the streets of Harare of sex workers.
The Operation exposed how language is carelessly used without much thought. The name of the operation in Shona is an order to a young woman to get married. The Operation calls on women to get married and not engage in sex work.
The assumption that all women should get married is a warped expectation on women by society. Marriage is a choice.
On the other hand, one cannot fully blame the police for being custodians of the "law." The police are simply drawing from existing social repertoire that says that young women, who roam the streets for commercial sex work, are a "problem" to the broader society and women must be married.
The Zimbabwe police are masking a "problem" that society has established yet perpetuating one of the oldest violations on women's rights. Women have the right to occupy spaces of their choice and to do certain things or engage in activities on their own.
While acknowledging the attendant problems that result from sex work, including violence perpetrated against such women by their clients and the spread of HIV and AIDS, there seem to be a wrong diagnosis of the challenges the Zimbabwe society faces that results in the launch of Operation Chipo Chiroorwa.
Speaking to the media about Operation Chipo Chiroorwa, former Police Spokesperson James Sabau said that women bring the arrests upon themselves by "loitering" the streets for purposes of sex work. Sabau added that the police can easily identify their targets by their dressing.
The situation is worse if the woman is caught with condoms, whether male or female condoms. Condoms are enough evidence for the police that the woman is a sex worker.
This modus operandi by the police is of concern as it is against the efforts that are in place for combating the spread of HIV. Women must be encouraged to carry condoms so that they can negotiate safe sex and protect themselves from infections and unwanted pregnancies.
Gender activists in Zimbabwe marched to Parliament to express their displeasure about police behaviour. However, police are still arresting women on allegations of sex work.
There is need to reorient the police force on women's rights beyond written statements in police charters and the constitution. Government must raise awareness among the police force about gender equality beyond what the law says, but how cultures and traditions, prejudices and stereotypes create gender inequalities.
It is not enough to train the police on the law. The police must also be agents responsible for changing attitudes among citizens. For instance, when the media asked Inspector Sabau why they are arresting women, he said, "Loitering for purposes of prostitution brings the reputation and dignity of women into disrepute. As a police force it is our duty to enforce the laws of the country."
Herein lies two issues that society should think about, male attitudes and accepted views of what women should do to maintain so-called "dignity." Secondly, laws set by predominantly male political elite to reinforce male perceptions on women need review.
Gender activists should seize the reviewing of the constitution so that archaic laws that impinge on women's rights are repealed. One day, Zimbabwean women must be able to walk alone and society must find it OK!
Rashweat Mukundu is a media activist and freelance journalist. This article is part of the GL Opinion and Commentary Service series for the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Show Me One Brave Zimbabwean Woman!
By Rejoice Ngwenya -Harare based political economist
Before feminist fundamentalists hurl proverbial shrapnel at me, I
implore them to read beyond my provocative heading. Blind fury,
senseless ire is the opium of the unenlightened. If you are of weak
gender predisposition, allergic to straight ‘flash lithography’ talk,
you might as well terminate your literary frolic here. I acknowledge
the proliferation of ordinary Zimbabwean women daily confronting
hunger, poverty, pain, abuse and suffering caused by but not
necessarily limited to the inept militarised governance of ZANU-PF.
Women lay down their lives to challenge authoritarian hegemony,
partisan food aid and de-humanising violence since Gukurahundi up to
the life-sapping June 2008 elections.
My problem is with their political emissaries who wield superficial
influence. It is no longer fashionable to proffer patriarchy as an
excuse for exclusion. My point is simple. In order to end gender-based
violence and oppression, women must have the capacity to infiltrate
and control the manner in which government operates. In fact, they
must be government. They ought to wield the very power to determine
the destiny and the fate of the citizens they want to immunise against
the venom of abuse. Voting for the ‘right’ man is not good enough.
Being Vice President, deputy Prime Minister, Secretary General or even
Minister is not sufficient. The Zimbabwean woman must be Prime
Minister, National or party President. Be the change that you want.
Show me that woman, that single brave woman who can say – at the next
elective party congress – I want to challenge for presidential
candidature. Show me a Zimbabwean Helen Zille; an Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf; a Joyce Banda. Give me the privilege of hearing Joyce Mujuru
proclaiming in Gweru: “Hey, you know what, this should now end. My
name must be on the next ZANU-PF presidential ballot paper.” I want
to be in a room where Thokozani Khupe raises her hand to say: “People,
I don’t care what you think; it’s my turn now to head MDC-T.” Would it
not be refreshing to look Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga straight in
the eye as she concludes “thank you colleagues for allowing me to run
as MDC party president”? Get me in the same zone with Emilia
Mukaratirwa beaming: “This is a great moment in history – ZAPU is now
led by me, the woman of first choice.” Zimbabwe, show me that woman.
Not in sixteen years, sixteen months, sixteen days, not in one day,
but now. That to me is ultimate woman activism – the activism of
control – transformative, earth shattering, gravity defying political
control.
Without power – real political power - Zimbabwean women will forever
languish in the fumes spewed by the masculine prejudices of Morgan
Tsvangirayi, Welshman Ncube, Dumiso Dabengwa and Robert Mugabe. They
will expend energy to gather crumbs – stale for that matter – from the
foot of the patriachial political table. Neither education, nor
profession; neither enthusiasm nor loud singing; neither high decibel
advocacy nor a seat in the United Nations Security Council – can save
Zimbabwean women from oppression until they control government.
Without being ‘head of state and government, commander in chief’ –
Zimbabwean women political ‘leaders’ are nothing but another perfect
gift from God to men.
Power, unlike beauty, in not in the eye of the beholder, it is in the
hands of the wielder. Zimbabwean women hear me: you will only move
mountains if you leverage the power in your hands. If a Zimbabwean
woman is not a president or a prime minister, sixteen days will blur
into sixteen weeks, sixteen months, sixteen years, and sixteen
centuries – before they determine their own destiny.
Before feminist fundamentalists hurl proverbial shrapnel at me, I
implore them to read beyond my provocative heading. Blind fury,
senseless ire is the opium of the unenlightened. If you are of weak
gender predisposition, allergic to straight ‘flash lithography’ talk,
you might as well terminate your literary frolic here. I acknowledge
the proliferation of ordinary Zimbabwean women daily confronting
hunger, poverty, pain, abuse and suffering caused by but not
necessarily limited to the inept militarised governance of ZANU-PF.
Women lay down their lives to challenge authoritarian hegemony,
partisan food aid and de-humanising violence since Gukurahundi up to
the life-sapping June 2008 elections.
My problem is with their political emissaries who wield superficial
influence. It is no longer fashionable to proffer patriarchy as an
excuse for exclusion. My point is simple. In order to end gender-based
violence and oppression, women must have the capacity to infiltrate
and control the manner in which government operates. In fact, they
must be government. They ought to wield the very power to determine
the destiny and the fate of the citizens they want to immunise against
the venom of abuse. Voting for the ‘right’ man is not good enough.
Being Vice President, deputy Prime Minister, Secretary General or even
Minister is not sufficient. The Zimbabwean woman must be Prime
Minister, National or party President. Be the change that you want.
Show me that woman, that single brave woman who can say – at the next
elective party congress – I want to challenge for presidential
candidature. Show me a Zimbabwean Helen Zille; an Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf; a Joyce Banda. Give me the privilege of hearing Joyce Mujuru
proclaiming in Gweru: “Hey, you know what, this should now end. My
name must be on the next ZANU-PF presidential ballot paper.” I want
to be in a room where Thokozani Khupe raises her hand to say: “People,
I don’t care what you think; it’s my turn now to head MDC-T.” Would it
not be refreshing to look Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga straight in
the eye as she concludes “thank you colleagues for allowing me to run
as MDC party president”? Get me in the same zone with Emilia
Mukaratirwa beaming: “This is a great moment in history – ZAPU is now
led by me, the woman of first choice.” Zimbabwe, show me that woman.
Not in sixteen years, sixteen months, sixteen days, not in one day,
but now. That to me is ultimate woman activism – the activism of
control – transformative, earth shattering, gravity defying political
control.
Without power – real political power - Zimbabwean women will forever
languish in the fumes spewed by the masculine prejudices of Morgan
Tsvangirayi, Welshman Ncube, Dumiso Dabengwa and Robert Mugabe. They
will expend energy to gather crumbs – stale for that matter – from the
foot of the patriachial political table. Neither education, nor
profession; neither enthusiasm nor loud singing; neither high decibel
advocacy nor a seat in the United Nations Security Council – can save
Zimbabwean women from oppression until they control government.
Without being ‘head of state and government, commander in chief’ –
Zimbabwean women political ‘leaders’ are nothing but another perfect
gift from God to men.
Power, unlike beauty, in not in the eye of the beholder, it is in the
hands of the wielder. Zimbabwean women hear me: you will only move
mountains if you leverage the power in your hands. If a Zimbabwean
woman is not a president or a prime minister, sixteen days will blur
into sixteen weeks, sixteen months, sixteen years, and sixteen
centuries – before they determine their own destiny.
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