By Lloyd Takawira
OPPOSITION MDC Alliance Women Assembly has lamented over women abuse highlighting that women and girls constitutes a bigger percentage of the, 490 million people who are living in ”extreme poverty” in Africa.
In it’s Africa day statement , the opposition assembly of women said that while today people are celebrating Africa day, they as women are in tears because of the poor policies of most African governments.
“We celebrate this day with tears on our cheeks as women, mothers and girls of the African continent who continue to suffer economically, politically and socially because of policies and decisions made by leaders who do not want to give us our Democratic space,” reads the statement.
The women said that Africa is dominated by dictators who are clinging on to power while plundering resources at the expense of the suffering people .
“Africa is dominated by leaders who are dictators and who want to cling on to power through undemocratic means such as election rigging, torturing and silencing voices of dissent, sexually abusing female politicians unlawful detentions and killing of opposition members amongst other forms of violence.
The opposition women’s wing waded into the regime in Zimbabwe arguing that , while the country is a member of many international bodies which advocate for the promotion of human rights, the country has been regressing on human rights.
” Zimbabwe is a member of this body where the promotion of International Cooperation with due regard for the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the core objectives” reads the statement.
The statement further said that women in Zimbabwe continue to live under difficult conditions.
“Women and girls continue to live under difficult conditions where they cannot afford basic needs like sanitary wear, clean environment, sound health delivery system and many more because of collapsed economies due to poor governance and misplaced priorities. Women empowerment and gender equality remains a myth” reads the statement.
The statement also , said that Africa and Zimbabwe continue to witness abductions and sexual harassments while the AU is silent.
“We continue to experience abductions and sexual harassments from security officers who are supposed to be protecting us. The governments have become perpetrators and the AU is silent about all this. It has become a toothless bulldog which cannot protect its citizens from violations of the human rights as witnessed by its quite diplomacy in the case of the trio Joanna Mamombe Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova which got the intervention of the International bodies and Embassies whilst African Union remained silent”.
The opposition women’s wing also deplored African governments’ neglect of the girl-child.
“We are much worried as women when crimes against humanity especially against women just go unpunished and wonder who will actually protect us. Our country is being governed by terrorists who are being protected by the AU leaving the majority of the citizens doubting its sincerity”
The wing further said that , this is not the Africa we want . They waded into the shambolic governance culture that has permeated the continent.
The statement said “This is not the Africa we want. As women we want the Africa that respects women and girls, promotes democracy, allows all freedoms to prevail and promotes free and fair elections, hence we are calling for every women in the continent to resist dictatorship and speak out”
Today Africa celebrate , Africa day when Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed which later changed to African Union (AU) in 2001. Zimbabwe is a member of this body.
