by Rumbi Mahuvava

Domestic violence has become a rampant issue in Zimbabwe, with an increase in cases being reported all over the country. According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZNSA) report released in 2020, 1 in every 3 women suffers from domestic violence in the country.

The report reveals that out of the 5.7 million women in Zimbabwe, 2.2 million have experienced different forms of domestic violence. This figure is not only alarming but also worrying as it shows that Zimbabwe’s efforts to combat domestic violence are not yielding the desired results. A meeting held with women in Tiger Reef and Globe and Phoenix mines in Kwekwe district revealed that cases of domestic violence are steadily increasing in the mining compounds. The UN General Assembly defines violence against women as any act of gender based violence, which results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women.

“Financial challenges and drug and alcohol abuse are the reasons why most couples are fighting. It’s impossible not to argue and pick a fight when there’s no food and rentals haven’t been paid. What makes the situation worse is knowing that your partner is spending all that money on another woman whilst his children suffer,” said Karen Mhuka.

There was a general agreement that women who were constantly abused by their partners only stayed because they could not afford to take care of themselves. Several factors including economic challenges, alcohol and drug abuse, and the patriarchy system, culture and social norms have been identified as contributing factors. “If I report him and he gets arrested, who will take care of me and my children? How will I survive for the six months he will be locked up?” asked one of the women.

The most common form of domestic violence reported in Zimbabwe is physical violence, with 52% of the cases being physical abuse. This is followed by emotional abuse, which accounts for 48% of the cases. Other forms of violence include sexual abuse, financial abuse, and cultural abuse. The report further points out that the victims of domestic violence in Zimbabwe are mostly young women between the ages of 15 and 49 years. This implies that a significant portion of the productive population in the country is experiencing violence in their homes, potentially leading to negative consequences such as poor health and reduced productivity.

Some of the women present at the meeting said that they no longer reported their partners for domestic violence but now endure it quietly. They admitted to being afraid of the attacker, to fear of a negative response by others, and especially the belief that the authorities will not take the case seriously.

“We have seen a number of cases where a woman is beaten up almost to the point of death. The case gets reported to the police but after a few days we see the same man roaming around and even repeats the offense a few months later,” said Tafadzwa Mudzinga. The women called for stronger action against perpetrators of domestic violence and criticised the operating legal framework for being weak. In addition to legal action, there is a need for counselling services and safe spaces for victims of domestic violence. There are different beliefs such as ‘a woman should not challenge her mans’ opinion but should suffer in silence and pray about her pain.” All such beliefs encourage toxic masculinities leading to increased violence.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. It provides the basis for realising equality between women through providing equal opportunities in political and public life. The Zimbabwean government came up with the Domestic Violence Act as a way of implementing the principles of CEDAW in Zimbabwe. The Act addresses physical, emotional, sexual, economic and emotional abuse and provides for protection and relief to survivors of domestic violence.  It aims to protect women from cultural and customary rites or practices virginity testing, child marriages amongst other such practices. Despite these laws, Zimbabwean society still has a long way to go towards changing traditional beliefs and attitudes that promote violence against women.