Women activists to appeal for domestic violence legislation

Zimbabwean women activists are to petition parliament on Friday to approve a four-year-old Prevention of Domestic Violence Bill. The activists, frustrated with continued delays in the bill's approval, have chosen the last day of the worldwide campaign dubbed "16 Days of Gender Activism against Domestic Violence" to make their appeal. Earlier attempts to lobby the justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, who is also the leader of the house, had been unsuccessful, the activists reported. Director of the Musasa Project for abused women, Sheila Mahere, told discussants at a recent round table conference called to sensitise parliamentarians to gender violence, that according to Chinamasa the bill would not see "the light of day" before the March 2005 elections. The Zimbabwean government has, instead, focused its attention on fast-tracking legislation such as the Electoral Commissions Bill, which will set up a body appointed by the president to run the elections, and the controversial NGO Bill. Though parliament is expected to be dissolved shortly to make way for the March elections, the women are determined to get a commitment on domestic violence legislation. "We are asking parliament to pass the bill as a matter of urgency; as soon as possible; now. That it has not been passed in the past four years shows a lack of commitment on the part of parliamentarians," said Netsai Mushonga, coordinator of the Women's Coalition, an umbrella body of women's rights groups. The Ministry of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation, which usually allows NGOs to take the lead in gender issues, is spearheading the petition. While government dithers, domestic violence remains a cause for concern. Figures from the Musasa Project show that the number of visitors to their Harare office alone rose from 2,192 in 2000 to 4,416 in 2003. In the first five months of 2004, a further 1,607 women were assisted. Women from a Musasa support group told IRIN they had fled their homes because they were forbidden to work, but were beaten or harassed if they sought money from their husbands for household expenses. Others spoke of forced unprotected sex with unfaithful husbands; of contracting sexually transmitted infection, and no money to undergo treatment. Court or peace orders to compel their husbands to give them money for the home or refrain from physical abuse were often ignored. Even if the bill were to be tabled in this session, Mushonga said, they anticipated a battle in parliament. Male members had already indicated that the bill's interpretation of domestic violence was "too wide", that it would make women "too strong", and they wanted it watered down. Women have just 10 percent representation in parliament. The definition of domestic violence in the bill includes economic, verbal and psychological abuse, intimidation and stalking, while domestic violence is made a crime in its own right. Cultural practices that degrade women, such as virginity testing, female genital mutilation and wife inheritance are also covered. Currently, the physical and sexual abuse of women are treated as crimes of common assault. The activists believe the bill has already been sufficiently watered down. The only real power the bill provides is the right to apply for a protection order, and provision for a jail term if the order is violated by the abuser. Although the order must be issued within 48 hours of the crime, it is valid for only two years. Describing the bill as "nowhere near what we want on the ground", Mahere said that, in drafting the proposed legislation they had been guided by what they believed would be acceptable to most women, who often did not want to see their loved ones incarcerated. Edna Masiiwa, director of the Women's Action Group, told IRIN that despite the problems, the bill was at least "a starting point", a framework for women to work with. "We are putting domestic violence on the agenda. Once we start looking for weaknesses, we will not even be able to push for this bill." If the petition on Friday fails to convince parliament, Mushonga said, they would consider engaging the newly elected vice-president, Joyce Mujuru. "She is a woman. Every woman has suffered some form of violence, even if it meant just being whistled at or heckled because of your weight."