Category: Gender Matrix

Zim Women Suffering in Silence Due to Cyberbullying

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere Women should know the legal remedies available in legal instruments to take action against cyberbullying and online harassment perpetrators. This comes amidst findings that a lot of women were ignorant of such which has seen them suffer in silence mentally and at times even physically. A feminist solidarity workshop held in Harare recently sought to come up with recommendations on the effective implementation of laws and policies that protect women from online violence. It was organized by the Women’s Action Group (WAG), graced by guests from Women’s…

Read More

Iraq Propose Bill To Reduce Age Of Consent For Girls To 9 Years

Michael Gwarisa

In Iraq, a proposed bill seeks to amend the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, which could lower the age of marriage to as young as 9 years old for girls. The bill passed its first reading on 11 August 2024, one of three stages proposed legislation must pass before it is put to vote. Current legislation (the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, also known as Law 188) sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18, though individuals can marry at age 15 with judicial approval. The new…

Read More

Silencing the Abused: Mbire Villagers Sweep Girls Sexual Abuse Cases Under the Rug

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Mbire It’s an early Friday morning, and villagers from communities surrounding Mushumbi Pools growth point in Mbire, troop to Mushumbi High School, where several partners are offering Gender Based Violence (GBV) services under a Mobile One Stop Centre setup. Over 100 women and girls arrived at the venue by 9:00 am. However, one can’t help but notice the visibly young children with babies strapped on their backs. At first glance, one might be tempted to assume the girls are probably ferrying their siblings and probably waiting…

Read More

Mobile One-Stop Centre Eases Referral Pathway Hurdles for Mbire GBV Survivors

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Mbire At the height of COVID-19 in 2021, when she was only 17 and about to sit for her ordinary-level examinations, Tracy Mushonga (not her real name) from Nyakatsa B1 Village in Mbire, Mashonaland Central was impregnated. She dropped out of school and went to live with her husband. A few months into her marriage, Tracey realised all was not rosy as her husband would physically abuse her daily. Between the period 2020 and 2021 when the world was on lockdown due to COVID-19, Mashonaland Central…

Read More

The Intersection of Unpaid Care Work and Cholera In Zimbabwe: The Untold Tales of Women in Rural Settings

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Buhera Data from previous epidemics show that women and girls take on the bulk of unpaid or poorly paid care work in families and communities when formal health systems are unable to cope with the rising tide of infections. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, healthcare workers were overwhelmed with managing a novel but highly infectious respiratory infection. The growing demand for care in the context of the COVID-19 crisis deepened already existing inequalities in the gender division of labour, placing a disproportionate burden on women and…

Read More

Making Communities Safe For Women: How Zimbabwe’s GBV Program Has Improved Access To Services In El Nino Affected Districts

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In every emergency, the vulnerability of women and girls increases. In Zimbabwe, the prevailing El Nino-induced drought has amplified the susceptibility of women and girls to numerous forms of abuse. In both Matabeleland North and South provinces, cases of elderly women getting abused sexually have been on the increase. In Gwanda and Umguza Districts where mining is rampant, artisanal miners have been sexually abusing young children, girls,women and even elderly women under the false belief that it gives them fortune in their mining endeavors. In Umguza District,…

Read More

After Dropping Out Of School Due to An Early Marriage, Mhondoro Adolescent Girl Traces Footsteps Back To Classroom

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Chegutu When COVID-19 hit in 2020, everything came to a standstill as governments worldwide clamped down on services to pave way for the effective management of the disease. Unfortunately, the education sector was also affected, and learning was suspended. This, however, increased the vulnerability of girls from poor backgrounds as many were driven into early marriages to escape from the effects of poverty and hunger that characterised the pandemic period. One such girl is Theresa Garikai (21), from Katawa Village, from Mhondoro Mubaira, Chegutu District, who…

Read More

10 Minutes In The Shoes Of Zim’;s First Video-Assisted-Thoracoscopy-Surgery (VATS) Patient

Kuda Pembere

By Kudakwashe Pembere On March 1, 2024, donning a purple silk night gown, Tatenda Nyakutya is admitted in Ward B5 for females as she awaits to see her 17-year-old child whom she last saw about a week prior her surgery. Despite the pots surgery pain, Tatenda’s sense of humor gets the best of her as she finds time to crack one or two jokes with her relatives. “So in 2022, I collapsed and they rushed me to Nyanga District Hospital,” says Tatenda as she shuffles through a medicine bag containing…

Read More

Zimbabwe International Women’s Day Commemorations Puts A spotlight On Investing In Women

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Shurugwi Women and girls in Zimbabwe bear the biggest brunt of climate change, and economic challenges amongst other vices, hence the need for increased investment in women across all economic spheres. The call was made by various stakeholders who attended the International Women’s Day Commemorations 2024 Commemorations at Chitora Primary School in Shurugwi. This also comes amid an Elnino-induced climate crisis whereby various districts across the country are facing a serious drought. Officiating at the International Women’s Day celebrations, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and…

Read More

Student Resource Centre Bridges SRH Unmet Need and Information Gaps for MSU Students

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa It’s around 12 midday, Audrey Katsande (22), and her friend Mitchell Munjoma (21) are chilling in the Girls’ Space inside the Student Resource Centre at the Midlands State University (MSU). It’s a time to cool off after a long morning of lectures and college work. University life can be difficult for students at times, and MSU students are no exception. Being a multi-campus college with an estimated student enrollment above 18000 students, the MSU is faced with unique challenges. Its accommodation facility caters only for less than…

Read More