Women stage demo against critics of Domestic Violence Bill

12. October 2006

Remarks by a member parliament against the passing of the Domestic Violence Bill has sparked outrage among women who took to the streets to vent their anger against him.

Since 1999 women’s organizations in Zimbabwe have fought for the adoption and enforcement of a Domestic Violence Bill to protect women and girl children from violence and abuse in their own homes. Today the bill is set for a second debate in parliament and likely to pass soon. The campaign, lead by Women’s Coalition, has been a success and action is taken against opponents who threaten to hamper the process.

Early October Women’s Coalition organized a protest march against utterances made by MP Mr Mubawu, who incensed women when he said: "I stand here representing God the Almighty. Women are not equal to men.”

"It is a dangerous Bill and let it be known in Zimbabwe that the right, privilege and status of men is gone. I stand here alone and say this Bill should not be passed in this house. It is a diabolic Bill. Our powers are being usurped in broad daylight in this house.’’

The placard-waving demonstrators said they were shocked that the lawmaker was turning against women who were among people that elected him into the House of Assembly. Women’s Coalition warned that such utterances reversed all the efforts being made by the Government and other stakeholders to stop domestic violence. They said it was shocking for any lawmaker to join the bandwagon of perpetrators of violence against women.

"We are infuriated, angry and shocked. The gender-insensitive MP is a mockery to the nation. How can they be in Parliament to defend patriarchy — the oldest oppressive institution for women the world over," said the chairperson of Zimbabwe Women’s Coalition Ms Betty Makoni.

Another member of Women’s Coalition said it was unfortunate that an effort to fight a culture of domestic violence that has engulfed the nation was being trivialized by a representative of the people. "All we want is for women and children to exist in a peaceful environment, free from violence and free from violations of their rights as human beings,’’ she said.

"The men whom we all voted for to represent us (in Parliament) are now betraying women’s basic human rights by justifying that traditionally women are expected to be submissive and even after the liberation war 20 years along they take domestic violence as a norm," said Ms Makoni.

She said all reasonable women are not going to be laid back by "such primitive ideas" since the Government had pledged to support efforts to enforce the law. Recently, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, had urged Zimbabweans to move away from a system of condoning Domestic Violence in the name of culture.

Source: www.herald.co.zw