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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
IT was all pomp and fanfare yesterday as Zimbabweans and Bulawayo residents in particular celebrated the opening of a new office of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission in the city, as well as commemorating the International Human Rights Day.
It is however, sad that the day is commemorated following sad tales of child rights as well as women rights violations in the past months.
In his remarks as Zimbabweans commemorated International Human Rights Day in the city yesterday, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Chairperson Dr Elasto Hilarious Mugwadi called for a holistic approach to protect the rights of all person, saying a violation of one right was a big undoing to all other rights that may have been respected.
He called on communities to tolerate each other and not to infringe on the rights of other people as they were enjoying their rights. This was well said, as rights do come with responsibilities and obligations.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube, who was the guest of honour, spoke of basic needs such as water, food, shelter and health services and lamented worrying levels of infrastructure vandalism at Epping Forest which has resulted in the city receiving less than 25 percent of its allocated water from the Nyamandlovu Aquifer.
On the issue of water, the minister said the rights of many Bulawayo residents had been violated considering the ongoing water crisis, and called for the city to consider alternative energy sources to ensure uninterrupted power supply to enable non-stop water treatment and pumping.
The minister also spoke about how good health forms the basis that enables people to enjoy all other rights that are enshrined in the Constitution.
This was well said as there can be no dignity, freedom and justice without health for all. The right to health is about ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access affordable, quality healthcare. It is also dependent upon gender equality and the realisation of other human rights including, food, education, housing and access to safe water and sanitation.
Everyone is entitled to the right to health regardless of race, colour, sex, language, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographical location, religion, political or other opinion, nationality or social origin, property, socioeconomic or other status.
The right to health means the right to control one’s health and body, including the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, without interference. Violence, including gender-based violence, is always a violation of the right to health and can have serious health consequences on the lives of women and children.
The right to health means ending discrimination in all settings. This means supporting national and local authorities in addressing racial discrimination and related health inequities. This work includes integrating human rights, equity, gender responsive and inter-cultural approaches to guide public health policies and ensure that communities experiencing racial discrimination have access to comprehensive, culturally appropriate and quality health services.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. With a vow to ensure the rights of everyone, everywhere, this first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) remains the most powerful commitment on human rights that our global community has made.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, in 2022, human rights are under increasing attack in many regions across the globe. Some of the worst human rights violations occur during violent conflicts — now at their highest levels since 1945 — including gender-based violence against women and girls.
Most recently, in 2022, the UN General Assembly declared that access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a universal human right. This is expected to be a catalyst for action and empower citizens to hold their governments accountable.
As we also wrap up the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, it is key to note that without equality of the sexes, it will be difficult for women and girls to fully enjoy their rights as humans.
As we reflect on activities of the past 16 days, for better respect of human rights, communities should realise that fighting for gender equality and taking all necessary actions against gender-based violence should not be an annual event done for just 16 days.
However, defending human rights is a daily exercise that should form part of our daily activity and culture.
The 16 days are important to allow us to accelerate all the efforts that we would have been engaged in throughout the year, and should propel us to think even bigger on possible strategies to fight gender-based violence in the following year.
We end these very important days with pain following the sad news of two very young children falling pregnant and one of them having already given birth. That little girl is probably the youngest mother in the country at present. It is sad; however, such events should serve as an anchor to ground us to do better, individually and collectively it all begins with a willing mind.
This Human Rights Day should be a clarion call to rally society behind the fight against all forms of violence. Change is possible; however, it only happens when individuals choose to take action, unite with their communities and enable change.
Online Reporter