The 8th of March was International Women’s Day and this year was the 100th year since the first Women’s Day was celebrated. As women around the world gathered to celebrate, the Zimbabwe Women Writers organisation took time to mark this remarkable event under the theme, “Promoting equal access to education through literacy”. Women writers both urban and rural, ZWW board and staff, partners and sponsors of ZWW, and the guest of honor Dr Thokozile Chitepo who is the chairperson of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe graced the occasion.

The organisation also took time to celebrate its twenty years of existence. “Gazing at the Environment” was ZWW’s first publication published in 1992. Their latest publication is “The African Tea Cosy” by Violet Masilo. But even in the midst of celebrations the organisation acknowledged that there is a daunting task ahead of them. ZWW believes in women uplifting each other and rejects the pulling each down syndrome. This is evident of the anthologies the organisation publishes – without team spirit these would not have been achieved.

The Zimbabwe Women Writers also launched their Women’s Voices Project. The role of the Women’s Voices initiative will be to advocate the use of hybrid new media amongst women writers and providing a platform for them to interact. The initiative is to take a global stance, thus it will encourage cultural exchange and knowledge sharing. This project is, ‘committed to articulating women’s voices’, as held by ZWW Director Audrey Charamba.

It was uplifting to hear performance of poems by women and speeches from members of ZWW board who have been with the organisation since its inception. Women celebrated victories by singing:

Semadzimai emuZimbabwe takamirira zvakaoma
Kurema kwazvo kunoda madzimai
Azvina mhosva nyango zvorema
Takamirira zvakaoma

A rapist doesn’t have to be a stranger to be legitimate. Someone you never saw. A man with obvious problems. But if you been public with him, danced one dance, kissed him goodbye lightly with a closed mouth, pressing charges will be as hard as keeping your legs closed while five fools try and run a train on you. These men friends of ours, who smile nicely, take you out to dinner, then lock the door behind you.
- Yasmine in For Colored Girls

When people think of rape, they might think of a stranger jumping out of a shadowy place and sexually attacking a woman walking alone at night. The thought of two people who know each other, going for dinner and the male counterpart sexually attacking the female counterpart is rare for some. Rape is an act of aggression and violence so even if the two people know each other well, and even if they were intimate or had sex before, no one has the right to force a sexual act on another person against his or her will.

We have heard, seen victims and read about rape, incestuous rape, and politically motivated rape, HIV infected men raping virgins, ritualistic rape to women raping men. But the cases of date rape being reported are very few and mostly go unreported. A blind eye has been given towards this kind of rape because people simple say it was the victim’s fault. ‘What were you doing in the first place, you seduced him. Don’t worry about it. It happens you might as well continue giving it to him!’ These are the words of our best friends when we share our date rape experiences. Big girls don’t cry but honestly that is so subversive. One would rather cry and not qualify in the ‘big girls’ zone.

I want people to know that date rape can happen to anyone, no matter what age, popularity, race or income group. Date rape is rape. Victims of date rape should not feel guilty. They are victims whose bodies, rights and trusts were violated.

I recently watched Tyler Perry’s movie, “For Colored Girls“. This movie is based on Ntozake Shange’s stage play, ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf“. The movie opens with an interesting approach . . . a series of voice-overs, with the lines of a poem serving as each woman’s interior monologue, until their voices layer over one another in a crescendo of despair.

A wonderful cast lines up for this movie Janet Jackson (Jo), Whoopi Goldberg (Alice), Thandie Newton (Tangie), Kimberly Elise (Crystal), Phylicia Rashad (Gilda), Anika Noni Rose (Yasmine), Kerry Washington (Kelly), Loretta Devine (Juanita). Macy Gray (Rose), Tessa Thompson (Nyla) and many others.

Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the collection of twenty poems, revealing different issues that impact women in general, and women of color in particular. The movie contains scenes about child murder, rape, domestic abuse, an illegal abortion, prostitution, and infertility among others. My favourite part of the movie is towards the end when all the actresses gather and Juanita takes them thorough self-realization of their love’s worth. These are words from the end scene:

Juanita: Now, how many times have you heard your man say it don’t feel the same? My love is too beautiful to have it thrown back on my face.
Yasmine: I like that.
Juanita: Try one.
Yasmine: What?
Juanita: Well, I do it all the time in my class. You just say, “My love is too ____,” and you just fill in the blank.
Gilda: My love is too sanctified to have it thrown back on my face.
Kelly: My love is too magic to have it thrown back on my face.
Tangie: My love is too “Saturday Night” to have it thrown back on my face.
Jo: My love is too complicated to have it thrown back on my face.
Yasmine: My love is too music to have it thrown back on my face.
Juanita: Yes, and you remember that when a man tries to walk off with all your stuff!

And now for me: Zimbabwe my love for you is too sanctified to have it thrown back in my face. And I will remember this each time people’s rights and dignity are trampled on.

Beggars in Zimbabwe used to be so gentle and they would ask for ‘rubatsiro’ (help), and it was so touching you would be moved to give them something. You would give away a dollar or think of the meal you threw away last night or the clothes in your wardrobe that you no longer wear. Gone are those days. Begging is more of a profession in Zimbabwe now because not only do the beggars stand at traffic lights but they are also roaming shopping malls in the car parks. They beg using various stories to lure potential donors. Of late they have become fiercer when they demand, and you are scared into giving. They even demand the drink you are having. Anything they see in you car or holding, they want. It’s inevitable . . . in the future they are just going to grab.

I am moved by beggars because I feel most of us Zimbabweans have a ‘beggar being’ in them. We beg for human security. We beg to have the security to know that if one is to fall ill today, they can afford to pay their medical bills. University graduates beg to have jobs in the different sectors of their field of study and expertise. Individuals beg to move freely in the streets of downtown Harare and not fear pocket snatchers. Journalists and activists beg to have a voice that can be heard and their freedom of expression. Citizens beg to have a decent roof over their heads and have the basic life needs, like water and electricity.

And today I beg for human rights to be respected in Zimbabwe.

When you have never had your basic human rights violated, you are quick to say whatever and brush it aside with some pity. But when it gets to you or your loved ones or someone you know it gets disturbing and worrisome. I received a text message from a colleague telling me they were arrested at a meeting they had attended. I was then shocked to learn that all 46 students and union members, who were attending the academic discussion of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) Zimbabwe, had been arrested and detained at a police station. They are being charged with trying to throw out the government by unconstitutional means.

Freedom of speech, the right to assemble and hold a discussion is a fundamental democratic right. But this seems not to apply to Zimbabwe. The arrest of the organizer and the people attending this meeting is a violation of internationally recognised democratic and human rights.

News from Tunisia and Egypt is available on mainstream media to be seen and read 46% of Zimbabweans view satellite channels as revealed by the ZAMPS survey released this month. The same survey also showed an increase in the use of Internet in Zimbabwe.

So honestly what is the big deal if 46 people gathered to watch what everyone else has been watching?

Zimbabwe is one of 13 countries on the United States’ “Tier 3″ human trafficking list, according to a report of the Washington DC-based US Department of State. On this list Zimbabwe joins other countries Burma, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Kuwait, Iran, Mauritania, North Korea, Papa New Guinea, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. This is according to the Trafficking in Persons Report of 2010.

Nations on the Tier 3 list are those, “whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so“, as set by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 enacted by the US. Meanwhile, 30 countries have been listed under the agency’s “Tier 1″ and Nigeria is the only African country. “Tier 1″ is distinguished to be those countries whose governments fully comply with the TVPA. They include Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the US among others.

According to the US State Department, Zimbabwe is a, “country of origin, transit and destination for men, women and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced labour and forced prostitution.”

Zimbabwean women and girls had been subjected to sexual exploitation and forced into prostitution in countries like South Africa, Zambia, China, Egypt, United Kingdom and Canada.

“Men, women and children from Bangladesh, Somalia, India, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa,” it said.

It also held that, “Zimbabwean men, women and children from rural areas are subjected to forced agricultural labour and domestic servitude.”

“Young men and boys are forced by Zimbabweans government security forces to work in the diamond fields of Marange district.”

“Women and men are lured into exploitative labour situations in Angola, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and South Africa with false promises of jobs in construction, information technology and hospitality,” it also said. A full report on Zimbabwe is available from UNHCR here.

Countries in “Tier 3″ have been restricted assistance from the US under section 110(d) of the TVPA of 2000 and the US Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons have made these clear. The President has determined to restrict assistance for Burma, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Eritrea, Iran, and Zimbabwe. The report says, “The United States will not provide any non-humanitarian, non trade-related assistance to the Governments of Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, and Iran, and will not provide certain non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance to the Governments of Burma and Zimbabwe, until such governments comply with the Act’s minimum standards to combat trafficking or make significant efforts to do so.”

The agency cited that, “Zimbabwean law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons, though existing statutes outlaw forced labour and numerous forms of sexual exploitation.” International Organisation of Migration (IOM) in Zimbabwe has this year launched a new project titled “Building National Response Capacity to Combat Human Trafficking in Zimbabwe” to assist Zimbabwe to craft comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and strengthen the national referral system for protection and reintegration.

On her way from work one night two men approach Cecilia and say, “Happy new year”. She responds and says, “Happy new year” and continues to walk. As they pass her one guy says, “Damn girl, Santa must have left you as a late Christmas present for me”. As Nyasha walks down the street passing a bus terminus, a group of kombi touts comment about her figure, “Iri iheavy” (‘You tight’) and before she even knows it she is the centre of attraction and the men are singing, ‘mutumba asekuru!!’ These are remarks women are given in the public and most women can relate to Cecilia or Nyasha’s experiences.

Holla Back, a group that works to fight against street harassment by encouraging people to speak out against gender based harassment provides a definition of public harassment as:

“Occurs in a public space when one or more individuals (male or female) accost another individual-based on the victim’s gender-as they go about their daily life. This can include vulgar remarks, heckling, insults, innuendo, stalking, leering, fondling, indecent exposure and other forms of public humiliation. Public sexual harassment occurs on a continuum starting with words, stalking and unwanted touching, which can lead to more violent crimes like rape, assault and murder.”

Public harassment has serious adverse effects on women. Susan Griffin in her book ‘Feminism and Psychology’ discusses the ‘protection racket‘, where harassed women seek male escorts in public to protect them. In addition women associate their bodies with shame, fear and humiliation due to the lewd remarks they hear from the streets. Victims can also become suspicious of innocent gestures and hostile towards non-harassing men.

The Sunday Mail of December 12-18 2010 had a feature in their In-depth titled “Relief for Heavily Built Women“. The reporter wrote that as a heavily built woman made her way past a bus terminus in Harare she was subjected to whistles and lewd remarks. ‘Mutumba asekuru’, a derogatory slur was being used to describe her heavily built woman’s stature. Lawyers and non-governmental organizations have pointed out that calling women offensive names is a sexual offence.

Chapter 9:23 (77b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act says that:

“Any person who knowingly or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that he or she will be heard, utters or makes use of indecent or obscene language in or near a public place, or in or near a private place within hearing of another person shall be guilty of public indecency and liable to a fine not exceeding level nine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both.”

In November of the same year a beauty queen who held the Miss Big Matofotofo pageant title had a hugely embarrassing moment in a local bar. As she entered the bar people started to sing ‘mutumba asekuru’. As if this was not enough, two young men blocked her way and fondled her buttocks. The beauty queen took the two to court in December 2010 in December 2010 and they were slapped with a US$80 fine or two months in prison. Public verbal harassment is a growing issue of concern and has multiple depressing effects on women and society at large. However very little attention is being directed towards this matter. This could be because both women and men view harassment as minor and with a tender heart. Gardner (1995) reported that many women use romanticised rhetoric in response to harassment. From this perspective women may view harassment as flattery, due to the nature of men (i.e “boys will be boys”) or as harmless.

It is interesting to note that in countries like Japan, Mexico and Brazil ‘Women Only Public Transportation‘ has been introduced to prevent the sexual harassment females face. However, I feel that such measures where there is gender segregation to try and curb harassment will not work in most situations, as it does not address the root problem. What I think is more ideal is that women should be encouraged to speak out and take their offenders to court. At the same time men should refrain from making comments about women.