16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign – Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
November 24th, 2006
WOZA Press Release
Theme: “Advance Human Rights – End Violence Against Women”
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) defines violence against women as ‘any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, force or denial of freedom, whether happening in public or in private life.’ Women of Zimbabwe Arise and Men of Zimbabwe Arise invite all Zimbabweans to join in this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, from 25 November to 10 December. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international movement, which began in 1991. The dates 25 November (International Day Against Violence Against Women) and 10 December (International Human Rights Day) were chosen in order to link violence against women and human rights and to show that such violence is an abuse of human rights. This year, Zimbabwe will join the rest of the world in recognising 29 November, which is International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. OUR SPECIAL DAY!
What Should We Do: Bang Pots, Make Noise in Protest
When: For 2 minutes at 8pm every night from 25 November to 10 December
To get involved, to give support, to join together please contact WOZA on wozazimbabwe@yahoo.com
Join WOZA by sending your application letter to P.O. Box FM 701, Famona, Bulawayo. Tell us who you are and why you want to join WOZA. Write in any local language. Send us a self-addressed with postage stamp for us to send your Sisterhood Promise. Once you have signed this and posted it to us we will send you your membership card in the second self-addressed and postage paid envelope. We will then bring you into our WOZA family.
November 24th, 2006 15:14
What a good start ladies and gentlemen, the acknowledgement that it takes both men and women to fight any form of oppression. I am with you 100%, because domestic violence is a form of oppression which is based on the same principle of exploitation as the economic and political oppression are, i.e. one person exerting his/her force against another person without permision.The perpetrators can be both men or women, and those who fight against domestic abuse or child abuse do not have to be either men or women, but must be both if we are to succeed in our struggles.
I recall many years ago in a little village in Mopaneni where I was born and brought up. Domestic violence or child abuse was something I had never heard of until one day when I saw my humble Christian mama chasing one of the most ignorant bigots out of our home because he had been gloating among his friends as to how he keeps his wife under control (what-ever that means.) I dare not imagine the damage my mama would have inflicted on this male chauvinist pig had she managed to get of hold of him. The funny thing is that my mama was one to preach the ‘No eye for an eye’ doctrine!
The pride in what you are doing is the very acknowledgement of strength in unity. So I shall be banging my pots and pans so loud in unison with you. All I can say to you fellow country-people is that ‘Your struggle is our struggle – is humanity struggle – aimed at preserving dignity and respect among human beings. This can only be achieved as long as we human beings remain united against any form of oppression, what-ever shape or size it is.
The struggle continues
Florence Durrant