Musasa project, a nongovernmental womens human rights organization, says domestic violence in zimbabwe has reached crisis levels, adding the continuing collapse of the economy could be a major contributor to the problem. Zimbabwean domestic violence act by excellent chireshe. Complex intersections of disability, culture, religion and normative gender roles and power relations within heteronormative relationships facilitate the vulnerability of women with disabilities to various forms of gender based violence, thereby perpetuating. Despite the promise of such acts, the results lag behind any measure of satisfactory as the implementation has been greatly shaky and half hearted. Using household survey to measure gender based violence is a process that is taxing due to the sensitive nature of the survey other forms of violence, e. Act domestic violence act 2010 b disposal of household effects, alienation of assets whether movable or immovable, shares, securities, bonds or similar assets or property in which the victim has an interest or is entitled to use by virtue of the domestic relationship or which may be reasonably required by the. Domestic violence is on the increase in zimbabwe with police records showing that some 40,500 cases were reported between january and september this year alone. An act to provide for the protection and relief of victims of domestic violence. Data was analysed by combining the results from the self administered. The methodology applied to the empirical investigation was qualitative and was informed by phenomenologthe ical, feminist and pragmatic. Domestic violence in uganda is a problem as it is in many parts of africa there is a deep cultural belief in uganda that it is socially acceptable to hit a woman to discipline her. Regulations under this act domestic violence regulations, 1999 gn r11 in gg 20601 of 5 november 1999 act. One such instance has been the crafting of the zimbabwe domestic violence act dva of 2007. Domestic violence act of 2007 in addressing gender based violence in zimbabwe, a case of.
In zimbabwe genderbased violence is seen particularly in acts of domestic violence where rights are violated because of physiological makeup and gender roles performed. In zimbabwe, the domestic violence act came into operation on the 25th of october 2007 chirawu, 2007, p. The increase in political violence since 2000 can be attributed to the. Zimbabwe economic crisis spurs spike in domestic violence. Introduction thoughts or discussions on african culture conjure up horror stories female genital mutilation, fgm, wife. Gender based violence is reportedly a thorn in the experiences of sexuality of women with disabilities in zimbabwe. It began on november 25 the international day for the elimination. In spite of the enactment of the act, domestic violence continues and there is limited utilisation of the provisions of the law. Enacted by the president and the parliament of zimbabwe. This study has the potential to inform interventions by health. It is where you go to reconnect, to get love and reassurance and appreciation from loved ones.
The zimbabwe situation the inclusion of the domestic violence module in the 2007 zimbabwe demographic health survey zdhs was in recognition of the presence of gender based violence. The study was conducted in urban masvingo and its surroundings. Zimbabwe is currently observing the 16 days of activism against genderbased violence with the rest of the world which ends on december 10 amidst calls for solutions to end domestic and gender. Political violence manifests as the major sociopolitical consequence of urban youth unemployment in zimbabwe. Examining the perceptions of zimbabwean women about the domestic violence act article pdf available in journal of interpersonal violence 274. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner, and can take place in heterosexual or samesex relationships. The efficacy of domestic violence act in reducing gender based violence in rural communities, a case. Barriers to the utilisation of provisions of the zimbabwean domestic violence act among abused christian women in zimbabwe by excellent chireshe1 abstract the domestic violence act of zimbabwe was enacted in response to an escalation in cases of domestic violence. Domestic violence is defined by domestic violence act zimbabwe chapter 5. Wife beating costs the ugandan economy billions of shillings per year. The inclusion of the domestic violence module in the 2007 zimbabwe demographic health survey zdhs was in recognition of the presence of gender based violence.
It was concluded that the zimbabwean domestic violence act had limited usefulness for. Prior to the promulgation of the domestic violence act, there had not been any law in zimbabwe that dealt explicitly and specifically with domestic violence in general and violence against women in. An act to provide for more effective protection of the rights of women guaranteed under the constitution who are victims of violence of any kind occurring within the family and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The draft domestic violence bill 2003 seeks to address domestic violence in a zimbabwean context and outlines the duties of the police officer, protection order, domestic violence counselors and committee and the definitions of terms relating to. Combating of domestic violence act 4 of 2003 namibia. To provide for the issuing of protection orders in domestic violence matters. A reflection on the domestic violence act chapter 5. Date to be fixed by statutory instrument in terms of s. To make provision for the protection and relief of victims of domestic violence and to provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing. Jan 16, 2007 the domestic violence bill is an attempt to thrust domestic violence out from behind closed doors and into the public realm, a difficult task in zimbabwe and other african countries where many people do not consider women equal to men, and view abuse of women in the household to be a private matter. Part i preliminary 1 short title and date of commencement 1 this act may be cited as the domestic violence act chapter 5. An act to provide for the protection of survivors of domestic violence and formatters connected therewith. Pdf examining the perceptions of zimbabwean women about the.
Domestic violence against women has been acknowledged worldwide as a violation of basic human rights, and an increasing amount of research highlights the health burdens. Domestic violence 259 domestic violence 17 the 200506 zdhs represents the first time zimbabwe has included information on domestic violence in the survey. Harare, 21 august 2007 following the historic enactment of zimbabwes domestic violence act, unicef, the government and the zimbabwe women lawyers association zwala are training hundreds of traditional leaders across the country to help fight domestic abuse in their communities. Combating of domestic violence act 4 of 2003 namibia legal. Conceptualisation of gender based violence in zimbabwe. Domestic violence dynamics on informal trading married. Domestic violence act, 2010, 2010 uganda legal information. Pdf theories of domestic violence in the african context. The domestic violence act of 2007, in its preamble spells out that the act is intended to, make provision for the protection and relief of victims of domestic violence.
In zimbabwe, domestic violence occurs across all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. A case study of ward 23, mberengwa district, zimbabwe. Genderbased violence in zimbabwe zimbabwe human rights ngo. She lives in hopley farm settlement in the countrys capital harare, with her three children, in an area characterized by high incidents of unemployment, social and housing problems. The adoption of the domestic violence act 2007, which includes prohibition of any cultural or customary rites and practices that discriminate against women such as female genital mutilation, child marriages or forced marriages. Vaw violence against womenvaw refers to the violence acts perpetrated against women. Domestic violence act, 2010, 2010 tibahwerayo v namuli miscellaneous application no. The cross country correlation coefficient with the incidence of casualties from political violence is 0. Pdf violence against women in zimbabwe farai mushangwe. By freeman razemba and tanaka vunganai domestic violence cases increased by 20 percent last year in harare as compared to 2015, as police officers have been urged to continue sharpening their crime prevention strategies in order to safeguard life and property and reduce fear of crime in the province.
The group says from january to october, 9,000 cases of domestic violence were reported to the groups harare office alone. It becomes a problem if one no longer feels safe in the confines of their home. The domestic violence act of zimbabwe was enacted in response to an escalation in cases of domestic violence. This study examined the extent of effectiveness of the dva as a tool to fight gender based domestic violence.
Jan 18, 2016 tolerance of domestic violence is also 9. A training manual, new gender mainstreaming series, commonwealth secretariat. The appellant who then was aged 32 years was arraigned before a senior magistrate sitting at kezi on 24 november, 2009 facing a charge of contravening section 41 as read with section 31 a of the domestic violence act chapter 5. Spousal abuse is the most common form of genderbased violence. Shocking statistics on genderbased violence newsday zimbabwe. In this sense, the cultural arguments may merge with those. Prior to the promulgation of the domestic violence act, there had not been any law in zimbabwe that dealt explicitly and specifically with domestic violence in general and violence against women in particular osirim, 2003. The violence against women in zimbabwe continue despite legislation because of various factors some can be be traced even during the liberation struggle. It researches what gender based violence is, its traits, types, possible causes and effects. This paper seeks to identify factors that militate against the utilisation of provisions of the act by victims of domestic violence. Genderbased violence is defined as any act of violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women. In spite of the enactment of the act, domestic violence continues and. Examining the effectiveness of the domestic violence act.
Domestic violence act but they were largely oblivi ous of its provisions ex cept that it is s c riminal offence. Introduction thoughts or discussions on african culture conjure up horror stories female genital mutilation, fgm, wife inheritance, homicide brides and early marriages. Domestic violence is described as the act of violence against a person living in ones household especially from an immediate member of the. Ending violence in the home is an issue for the whole community women and men in harare, zimbabwe are using theatre to claim their rights to live free of domestic violence. It is the purpose of this act to afford the victims of domestic violence the maximum protection from domestic abuse that the law can provide. Zimbabwes economic collapse cited in rise of genderbased. Jul 21, 2017 ten years ago, zimbabwe enacted the domestic violence act in 2006 to provide protection and relief to those who find themselves in situations of violence. Work experiences at zwla before joining the masters in womens. The police and domestic violence today is the 16th day, which marks the end of the 16 days against genderbased violence campaign.
T he research findings revealed a knowledge gap and s uch a re sponse to the conce. The government of zimbabwe enacted the domestic violence act in 2007 to protect women against genderbased violence but such violence continues to occur. A home should be a safe haven where one runs to after a hard day in the office. Some observers attribute part of the blame for domestic violence, and violence against women in general, to an alleged culture of violence in modern africa, within which violence is accepted as a way to resolve disputes, and link this to the colonial heritage, when africans were treated coercively and. The violence has grave consequences to children, society and the country as a whole. Domestic violence in uganda is a problem as it is in many parts of africa. An update from zimbabwe womens resource centre network on the draft domestic violence bill 2003. The south african domestic violence act 1998 defines domestic violence as. It is important to point out that this violence has its roots in the victims vulnerability. Domestic violence also named domestic abuse or family violence is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. National policy guidelines for the handling of victims of sexual offences were also finalised in 1998 2 and the policy framework and strategy for. Chapter 6 violence against women introduction violence against women is defined as any act of genderbased violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of acts such as coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private.
Genderbased violence in zimbabwe zimbabwe human rights. Pdf icon a reflection on the domestic violence act chapter 516. In this act, unless the context otherwise requires. Social norms toward domestic violence and political violence can and should not be seen in isolation. The two epidemics, domestic violence and hivaids, continue unabated.
G e n d e rb a s e d v io le n c e in z im b a b w e. Reprieve for domestic violence victims in kenya as. Along with the measure came awareness campaigns to encourage people to report violence in the home, says glanis changachirere, director of the institute for young women development, a. Women in prison in zimbabwe weaver press, published 11 years ago, is an important book for policymakers and the general society.
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