News / Press Release
MDC-T's statement marking the end of 16 Days of Activism
10 Dec 2013 at 06:33hrs | Views
As the people of Zimbabwe and the world marks the end of the 16 Days Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV), today, the MDC-T commends the people of Zimbabwe from all walks of life for taking part in this very critical awareness programme.
GBV is usually understood to mean violence visited upon women by their partners or spouses.
However, as world tries to tackle this social humiliation in our homes, the MDC-T notes with serious concerns that the State has become an actor and perpetrator in various ways.
Thousands of women and children in the rural areas are sleeping on empty stomachs as the State is distributing food packs and agricultural inputs in a partisan and discriminatory manner.
The MDC-T is further worried by the inhuman treatment of women especially by law enforcement agents. Most women are being arrested and subjected to torture for vending in order to eke a living, for crossing borders to neighbouring countries to order goods for resale in Zimbabwe or for peacefully demonstrating for the availability of affordable hygienic materials they use.
It is cruel for the State to force women to pay for maternity fees and at the same time ask them to fork out exorbitant cancer treatment fees, which is leading to the death of more women when this could be averted if we had a caring government.
Furthermore, a State which fails to provide employment for millions of its citizens will also fail to eradicate poverty. The mismanagement of the economy by the State has unfortunately created unemployment and underemployment across the country which has greatly affected women and children.
The MDC-T regards all this as State-sponsored GBV and the MDC-T's position is that the State has a role to play in creating a peaceful and conducive environment which minimises all forms of GBV.
Lucia Matibenga
MDC-T Shadow Minister for Women Affairs Gender and Community Development
Source - MDC-T
