Staff writer
In a bid to capaciate women with knowledge of the basic rights in domestic and human rights issues, the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) was last week in Silobela in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Association of Church Related Hospitals (ZACH) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police on a legal awareness campaign on the Domestic Violence Act.
“During the Issues raised by women living in this rural community related to violations of widows rights .
Widows continued to succumb to issues of forced wife inheritance , property grabbing by family members ,women are being harmful cultural practices . “Notwithstanding the law the ensures protection of widows rights against these violations widow continued to suffer in silence due to lack of knowledge of the law .
The Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) officer focused on sexual offences and encouraged participants to report cases of abuse,”said ZWLA.
According to research, in Zimbabwe, women face pervasive gender-based violence, with a high prevalence of physical and sexual violence, including intimate partner violence, and face challenges in accessing justice and support.
A significant number of Zimbabwean women experience physical and sexual violence, with about 1 in 3 women experiencing physical violence and 1 in 4 experiencing sexual violence since the age of 15.
Intimate partner violence is a major form of violence against women in Zimbabwe, with 40% of women aged 15-49 experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.
Many cases of gender-based violence go unreported due to a culture of silence and fear of reprisal, leading to impunity for perpetrators.