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By WDN-ZIMBABWE
To achieve sustainable development, time is now for all state and non-state actors to unite to end gender-based violence, co-create and sustain an enabling environment that facilitate for women access to leadership opportunities and participation in development processes at community, national, regional and international level. A woman’s place is in spaces, rooms and tables where decisions, plans, laws and policies are made. The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Resolution 54/134, UN. General Assembly (54th sess. : 1999-2000) adopted in 2000. The resolution invites governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to: organize activities to raise awareness of the issue and take action on the issue.
The political culture and gender dynamics has long been plagued by unhealthy competition and campaigns between candidates vying for the same position within political parties or for the same constituency from different parties. Competing candidates or parties often view and treat each other as adversaries, framing the tone of their engagement and campaign messaging. Political campaigns frequently focus on discrediting the contesting parties as ‘opposing parties’ in the eyes of voters or appointing leaders, aiming to undermine their ‘opponent’s fitness for office and ability to deliver on their mandate.
However, the persistent presence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in our societies is a stark reminder of the systemic inequalities that perpetuate violence against women. To promote women’s leadership and public life, it is imperative that we address the root causes of GBV and work towards creating a culture that values and respects women’s rights to leadership and public participation. This requires a fundamental shift in our political culture, to foster one that prioritizes respect for women’s rights, inclusivity, equality and justice. By uniting to call for political culture reforms, we can create a society that ensures an enabling environment for women to participate fully in public life, free from the fear of violence, intimidation and discrimination.
Moreso, women’s loyalty to the party or cause is most of the time questioned in electoral and political contestations in a patriarchal manner. Most women leaders and aspiring leaders experience personal attacks chanted in slogans, and character attacks. Hate speech drives the narrative, targeting individual candidates, their parties, families, communities, and gender. Name-calling, body shaming, class-based or past sexual, GBV or poverty-related insults, as well as their vulnerability stories, are exploited, all under the guise of campaigning. Furthermore, lies and misinformation have maligned women aspiring to leadership and those already in leadership positions, portraying them as sexually immoral, ‘prostitutes,’ and undeserving of leadership roles. For those elected, some drive shameful narratives suggesting that they are not fit for office but attained their leadership positions by either association with male political leaders or by immoral means, lacking technical or legitimate standing due to a moral card being waved at the general public.
This creates a toxic political landscape that demobilizes women’s political ambitions, leadership appetite and participation in public life. Furthermore, this also cause some women to withdraw their candidature due to fear of taking up leadership opportunities. Others refuse appointments, fearing the price of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) they would pay in a polarized context of leadership and political participation. Some even experience GBV from their families, husbands, partners and parents whom in not coping with the pressure of collective hate, political humiliation and shame blame women survivors of politically motivated GBV.
The lack of awareness on GBV technical skills to detect, prevent, and respond to GBV in political parties as well as lack of intra-party policies, reporting and supporting mechanisms for survivors, as well as limited interparty technical skills accountability mechanisms on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for political parties has created an environment where GBV is normalized and perpetrators of GBV continue with impunity and political clout driven perpetrator anonymity. This stands in the way of survivors accessing justice, support services they need and in long term brew conflicts, intergenerational trauma and lifelong effects that affect women and the whole society at large. This impunity also contributes to the normalization of GBV against women leaders and aspiring leaders by the general members of public and for generations to come if it remains unaddressed.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign season calls on us all to recommit to a gbv free society in unity of purpose and action. The campaign highlights the urgent need for action to unite and contribute to political culture reforms. These reforms aim to create an enabling environment where women can take up leadership opportunities and participate in public life without fear of violence. Join Us in Action to End Violence Against Women leaders and aspiring leaders as we Commemorate of 16 Days of Activism Against GBV.
The Women’s Democracy Network Zimbabwe (WDN-ZW), a national network of women leaders and gender champions promoting women’s participation in leadership, politics and gender-responsive policymaking in Zimbabwe, joins the world in commemorating 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The theme for the 2024 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”. The campaign focuses on raising awareness about the alarming escalation of violence against women, including gender-related killing of women (femicide). It calls for accelerated action from decision-makers to hold perpetrators accountable and for sustained investment in inclusive, comprehensive, and long-term policies, strategies, and resources.
WDN ZW 16 Days of Activisms Against GBV Commemoration Campaign will:
- Host series of learning, information sharing, reflection and dialogues forums online on different topics key to GBV prevention, response and support provision for survivors of GBV.
- Disseminate different stakeholders calls to action, quotes, and opinion articles that promote women’s participation in leadership, free from all forms of violence,
- Amplify the voices and actions of other change-makers from diverse backgrounds and sectors,
- Facilitate Solidarity Actions for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by publishing open letters of solidarity and affirmation
- Share information to raise awareness and mobilize action to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV) through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Some of the 10 Ways to Explore and Consider Participating in the 16 Days of Activism include:
Speaking out to challenge harmful norms and support survivors of GBV
- Participating in campaigns and initiatives that push for stronger laws and better enforcement
- Engaging the media to raise awareness
- Holding virtual seminars or radio programs to raise awareness and advocacy
- Establish GBV reporting mechanisms for women political leaders and aspiring leaders
- Formulate policies to prevent GBV if you are a policy maker or leader
- Speak out against GBV at private and public spaces
- Support survivors of GBV within your family and community
- Volunteer expertise in advocacy or support work for survivors
- Donate to GBV response institutions
To join us and contribute in Action to End GBV in Commemoration of 16 days of activism against GBV, Email wdnzimbabwe@gmail.com. For more information about the 16 days campaign and to get involved check these links: https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/16-days-of-activism and https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day
Follow, Amplify and Support the Campaign on:
Facebook: WDN-Zimbabwe
Instagram : wdnzimbabwe
LinkedIn: Women’s Democracy Zimbabwe
X : @WdnZimbabwe
#GBVIsNotOkay #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #NoExcuseForAbuse #BreakTheSilence
#GBVMustFall #UniteToEndGBV #OrangeTheWorld #16DaysOfActivismAgainstGBV #RespectWomen #EndGBVNow