By Tendai Marufu
THE Economic Justice for Women Project (EJWP) recently unveiled the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) campaign which seeks to advance the fight for women’s rights straight from the grassroots.
The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is a global movement for change commemorated every year, from November 25 to December 10 inspired by the objective to raise awareness and mobilize action to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
The EJWP said the campaign’s partners are the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Female Students Network (FSN), and Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust (SAPST) supported by Southern Africa Trust (SAT).
Speaking to the Humanitarian Post recently, EJWP executive director, Magaret Mutsamvi said by the time the commemorations curtains roll down, no stone will be left unturned.
“The campaign is titled “A Focused Campaign to Raise Awareness and Empower women in Combating Gender-Based Violence in Zimbabwe” In this campaign, EJWP is putting its focus on care justice exploring the relationships between the care economy in Zimbabwe’s mining communities and Gender based Violence.
“This is a follow up to a project EJWP implemented in 2023 to document and expose the experiences of young women in Zimbabwe’s mining communities,” she said.
Mutsamvi said over the years, the structure of the Zimbabwe society has pushed women to the margins making them more dependent on their male counterparts since they are economically incapacitated.
She underscored that competing interests within the mining communities makes for resources such as water and land makes life even more difficult for most women loading more baggage on their shoulders.
“Healthcare is a nightmare in most mining communities i.e. in Arcturus mine where the mine clinic has since been closed and residents have to travel very long distances to outsource the much needed health services such as vaccines, family planning and other SRHR services. This increases maternal mortality posing a risk to expecting mothers.
“It is such kind of poverty and lack of economic opportunities for women and young girls which this campaign will be paying much attention on demystifying as well as engaging critical stakeholders for resolve,” she said.
During the campaign, Female Students Network Trust (FSN) will be focusing on GBV and harassment in tertiary institutions, (EJWP) will be spotlighting on GBV in mining communities with a focus on the intersection of unpaid care work and violence and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) will document GBV cases in rural education constituencies.
