The 10th of December is a special day where the 16 days of Activism Against Gender based violence reaches crescendo morphing into the International Human Rights day. Since November 25, MAYA and its partners especially those in the Speak It loud Network and the rest of the progressive world have been united in “oranging the world” with the clarion call for ending Gender based violence against women and children.
In Zimbabwe, we had a localized theme which blended with the UN theme “ Orange the world: End violence against women : let’s end Child marriages”.
MAYA through the Speak It loud against GBV network conducted a marathon against GBV on Saturday 11 December in Mutare as an awareness raising campaign. The desire is to develop athletes for change, athletes for social justice, athletes for equality. When we all become athletes for a just cause, we will kick out inequalities from amongst our societies in our life time.
International Human Rights Day Commemoration
It is not by accident that The 16 days of Activism against GBV runs into the International Human Rights day because Gender justice is human rights. This convergence reminds us that the fight for gender justice in its totality is and should never be perceived as a Two week event that ends on the 10th of December. It just assumes a bigger and broader identity and that is Human rights.
The 2021 International Human Rights day theme is titled “equality- reducing inequalities, advancing human rights” which is derived from article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR) with a stated purpose of facilitating a peaceful fairer and just society for all.
As we fight inequalities everywhere, we must always remember that inequalities are man made and constitute one of the worst form of human rights violations. On the backdrop of the International Human rights day commemoration, MAYA acknowledges the tremendous amount of work done sofar by all stakeholders including government, civil society, media, Parliament, corporates, statutory bodies and citizens at large in fighting inequalities and GBV.
Policies and laws have been enacted, offices created, resources deployed towards awareness campaigns and information generation. However, it is time to make sure the messages are understood and followed up with action. It is time to demand accountability from our institutions and citizens. It is sad that the women and children are at the bottom of the food chain of inequality. Being at the bottom of the food chain means that women and youths are abused at all levels.
16 Days of Activism Against GBV Commemoration
Women and youths are pitted against insurmountable odds, such corruption, patriarch, poverty, lack of will to enforce existing laws and policies, big industry especially mining and a selfish world order that values profits over people.
According to ILO, Zimbabwe is ranked number three on the countries with the most informalized economies in the world and women therefore constitute the majority of actors where protection and regulation is non existent thereby increasing the levels of inequality. This is further worsened by the advent of Covid-19 in 2020. With an election year looming in 2023, we urge society to be responsible and duty bearers deal with impunity and maintain rule of law.
Although climate change has contributed towards inequality, we must also face the elephant in the room that is corruption and the extractive sector especially mining. Corruption misdirects resources. Resources meant for service delivery, health, education and social protection are never used for their intended purposes. It’s robbing the people’s bank. Like corruption, extractive industry especially mining have left host communities in peril, with diseases that never existed before , loss of lives and livestock, environmental debt and more poverty. These companies never plough back into the communities and don’t pay dues to local authorities. They extract the minerals from under the ground and also extract for pittance the people’s labor. Unless societies begin to realize this evil and fight this structural violator, there will be no fair,peaceful and just society will be achieved.
MAYA therefore believes that an unequal society is an anathema to achieving a fair just, peaceful egalitarian society. We call upon duty bearers and stakeholders to work closely and collaboratively to end inequalities in our society. Because it is man made, so man should end it. It is not the absence of laws or policies that has caused inequalities but lack of will to fight the scourge.
As MAYA, we firmly believe that there is enough space for everyone in the world. There is enough food for everyone in Zimbabwe. It’s only that a few less than 10% consume for everyone else. We urge our government and its agencies to take interest of their human rights obligations which duties are: To protect, Promote and respect human rights. These must be cascaded down to institutions and citizens so that they all realize that everyone has the same duty and obligation to “protect, promote and respect human rights because the state is the people. Everyone must be everyone protector It is a people with integrity that can end inequalities because without such people, there can’t be institutions with integrity.
Concluding, MAYA urges government to entrench pro poor, pro people policies. Resources for social protection and increasing resilience among citizens must be availed and monitored. Illicit outflows of resources such as gold, diamonds and other minerals must be plugged and make sure they are directed towards the people. Corruption which has bled the nation of huge resources can still be tamed. Inequality is evil. It is violation of human rights.
For peace to prevail and achieve a just society, let’s revisit article 1 of the UDHR and live by its dictates “all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience should act towards one another in a spirit of brother hood.
It is time to take action.
Inequality is against Ubuntu.
It is expensive.
Let’s EQUALISE, we can.