Human Rights Violations Against Women and Truth Commissions
Written on August 4, 2009 by Emily
Click To Download The Report
Report prepared by Fungisai Maisva,
Research and Advocacy Unit [RAU] July 2009
Gender-based violence, be it in the home or in the public arena, impacts powerfully on the livelihoods of women. When violence becomes embedded in society as a culture, it makes women vulnerable, especially during periods of political tension. Violence is at its worst during times of war and civil strife, and constitutes a major obstacle to development, peace and security.
Women in Zimbabwe have been victims of political violence since pre-colonial times. There has never been a specific examination of the impact of this violence on women. With the development of the concept of transitional justice over the years, Zimbabwean civil society has strongly advocated victims’ rights, demanding redress for past violations. The formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe through the “Global Political Agreement” (GPA) of September 2008 has resulted in these demands becoming more pronounced as discussions concerning national healing, reconciliation, rehabilitation, and the cessation of politically motivated violence are taking place across political divides in Zimbabwe.
These discussions, however, appear not to explicitly address the treatment of women survivors of politically motivated violence. This is an oversight that is not peculiar to Zimbabwe, but is evident in most post conflict approaches to transitional justice. Most transitional processes are not gender sensitive and, more often than not, leave women out without awarding them redress or protective measures to avoid future recurrence of abuses.
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