Gender Based Violence: A gloomy reality for female vendors
BY CLAYTON MASEKESA
MUTARE – The sound of distant crying and shouting filled the room. She could not sustain the struggle and the blood. She crawled under a table in the living room, as she endured a barrage of heavy punches from her drunken husband.
The next morning she saw herself on hospital bed with her body full of bandages and feeling an excruciating pain.
Beulah Mutero (33) a fruit and vegetable vendor from the populous Sakubva high density suburb in Mutare remembers the November 03 2021 night of horror in flashes. She narrates her story with terror amid fear, mercifully alternating with blackouts.
Her two children, on the other hand, had to see it all. Notwithstanding the horror before him, the elder child alerted neighbours who came to the rescue. The husband, Blessmore Marange (37), a motor vehicle mechanic was arrested by police and was sentenced to two years for assault.
“One evening in early November he came home heavily drunk accusing me of not giving him some money from the sales from my vending. He also accused me of having a boyfriend to which he failed to provide evidence on the allegations,” said Mutero.
“I walked over to the door in an attempt to leave him, but, he grabbed me and threw me on the floor and started choking me,” she narrated.
“I yelled for help as he was beating me up with open fists. My sons were just looking, as I was being assaulted until the elder one went outside and told the neighbours of what was happening. My neighbours came in and restricted him. A police report was made and it led to his arrest,” Mutero narrated.
Mutero said it was the scariest time of her life. While her husband is in jail, Mutero said she was determined to live again without him.
“I got busy volunteering at women’s organizations and other CBOs (Community Based Organizations) speaking out against domestic violence. From there I got so much support from my relatives and community members,” said Mutero adding that her life is now free from gender based violence.
Silvia Machikwa (29) from Dangamvura in Mutare is an informal trader who has suffered gender based violence.
In an interview recently, Machikwa said her husband an illegal forex dealer was always violent towards her.
“For longer periods, my life has been turned upside down. I was mentally, emotionally and sexually abused. He has been degrading me claiming he is rich. I began to question my self-worth, self-confidence and my true purpose in life. I thought of committing suicide many times,” said Machikwa.
“No one knew what went on behind closed doors. He treated me like I was his property. I told no one in the beginning. I was too embarrassed and ashamed to share what I was going through,” she said.
“The next thing I ran away to my parents in the rural areas and told them what had happened. I told them of the continuous abuse and said I no longer want him as my husband. We held a meeting with both families and I told them my story. I openly told them that I no longer wanted him and that was the end of my marriage. I do not have regrets as I am now free from a violent life,” said Machikwa.
The Mutare Informal Traders Association (MITA) president Itai Kariparire has said his organization was seriously concerned over rampant cases of gender-based violence against its members.
“MITA abhors and strongly condemns the harassment of women, youth and children physically, emotionally and sexually. It has come to the attention of MITA that different forms of harassment continue to increase, especially on women informal traders from their spouses,” said Kariparire.
Besides Covid-19, Kariparire said economic devastation among women informal traders has resulted in domestic violence.
Kariparire said: “I urge the government and local authorities to strengthen policies and laws which protect informal traders against rape and sexual harassment.”
The United Nations has said it continues to provide life-saving services for survivors of gender-based violence in Zimbabwe.
UN Women Country Representative, Delphine Serumaga maintains that it is essential to address the immediate needs of women.
“It is imperative to ensure that women have an escape route when they are faced with abusive situations, while other individuals who are witnessing abuse must have adequate knowledge to advise or report such situations,” she said.
The Director of Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau, Ronika Mumbire said they had partnered with Spotlight Initiative to end gender based violence.
“Our work with Spotlight Initiative is to end violence against women and advancing women’s rights. Our contribution is to ensure that we continuously monitor and bring forward cases of gender-based violence through our members,” said Mumbire.
“We must ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and this leads to convictions. We must never allow this to happen as a community. We must also ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and that this leads to convictions,” she said.
The Zimbabwe Gender Commission Chief Executive Officer Virginia Muwanigwa said there is need to enact a Gender Equality Act that will enable transformative justice through gender equality and non- discrimination.
“We recommend that the judicial system give punitive and deterrent jail sentences to perpetrators of all forms of gender-based violence such as sexual harassment, child marriages, among others,” she said.
Muwanigwa said government must speed up the enactment of a comprehensive legislative framework to deal with sexual harassment.
“There is need to the strengthening of data collection and investing in high quality surveys on violence against women and improving measurement of the different forms of violence experienced by women, including those who are most marginalized,” she said.
UNFPA Zimbabwe is working closely with civil society organizations and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Community and Small to Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED) to ensure the continuation of GBV services.
CSO partners include Musasa Project, Adult Rape Clinic, Family AIDS Counselling Trust, Family Support Trust, FACT, ZAPSO, ZICHIRE and World Vision among others.
