admin
Ruth Butaumocho Gender Editor
The Government will use all sections of the Constitution and existing pieces of legislation to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to book, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Oppah Muchinguri said yesterday.Speaking at a women’s parliamentary caucus meeting on rape and sexual violence held in Harare yesterday, Minister Muchinguri said the
Government would use the gender sensitive enactments within the new constitution to ensure that individuals bent on raping and sexually violating women would get deterrent sentences. “I am happy to say the new Constitution guarantees protection of women from abuse, which includes protection from rape and sexual violence. Further, the Government in its commitment to eradicate gender based-violence and promote gender equality ratified several regional and international instruments that promote the right of women. I am also happy to say that we are not alone in this fight against all forms of violence against women, because His Excellency, our President Cde Robert Mugabe, has also been calling for stiffer penalties against those found violating women and children,” she said.
Rather than wait for civil society to push for legislation on sexual violence against women, Cde Muchinguri called on the female legislators to move motion in parliament against the ever rising cases of sexual abuse and rape of women and children.
“Fulfill your legislative roles by creating human rights and legislative framework which supports abandonment of all forms of gender based violence at all levels,” said Cde Muchinguri. Speaking on the same occasion the chairperson of the Zimbabwe’s Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa urged the female parliamentarians to take the lead in fighting to protect women from all forms of abuse.
There has been a marked increase in sexual violence cases with 664 women and girls having been raped in Harare alone in the last 10 months. Of that figure, 334 were adults and remainder were children and juveniles, who were raped mostly by relatives and neighbours.
This according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police is a six percent increase in rape cases for juveniles and three percent for adults.
Online Reporter