Dear women of Africa,

Africa is our Africa
Africa is our motherland,
Today, we stand together in solidarity
We acknowledge the value of our common heritage
We claim with pride all the successes we have achieved for our
liberation
It is time to demand democratic space to exercise our rights

Today, as we celebrate with our sisters all over the world,
our hearts bleed for our sisters, the women of Zimbabwe, as they
experience one of the darkest moments of their recent history

Today, women of Zimbabwe find themselves deprived of their fundamental
rights:

•    Right to food and nutrition
•    Right to education
•    Right to clean water and proper sanitation
•    Right to access health facilities
•    Right to safety, protection and dignity as some are being raped and
physically and psychologically assaulted
•    Right to free expression and association
•    Right to be a woman
•    Instead men have demonstrated that women’s rights are not human
rights.

BUT WHY ALL THIS SUFFERING?

In any situation of turmoil, humanitarian crisis, economic meltdown
women and children are the worst affected. The Zimbabwean women and
their families are suffering because:

•    The people’s choice was not respected. Men disregarded chosen
leadership because of power
•    The most elementary right of a citizen – the vote, the right to free
choice – was simply ignored;
•    The will of people was clearly disregarded. And in the process also
the protection of women and children as enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was disregarded.
•    Women lack equal representation in the corridors of power.
•    Bread winners fled the country leaving the burden on the shoulders
of the already weary and vulnerable women
•    Let the women speak as we chronicle and document all cases of abuse
and suffering.

Dear Africans, the crisis in Zimbabwe is not simply a Zimbabwean
crisis.

•    It is an African people’s crisis;
•    It’s a shame as African people;
•    It’s our suffering, African people.
•    It is a man made crisis
•    Its panacea is African
•    Unless women and children are free, the dream of achieving the
Millennium Development Goals will never be a reality
•    Yes it is the African women that will shake and crumble the vestiges
and citadels of oppression.
•    Until women walk free in front of the development agenda.

While celebrating the 8th of March of this year, we dedicate our
message to our Zimbabwean sisters to whom:

•    We pledge our solidarity and warmth

•    We reaffirm that we are together in the battle of restructuring your
civic and political rights on the quest for your rightful space as
human beings, mainly women and children;

•    We pray and we will fight with you so that the peace that is
imminent today, be the beginning of a life free of violence, where
respect for each other in Zimbabwe, in Africa and in the World, is a
reality.

•    We shall work together with civic groups that share the same
sentiments and vision to alleviate the Zimbabwean women and children’
suffering

At the same time, we appeal to the African Union, SADC and the
Zimbabwean Government :

•    To respect the choice of the people, women and men, as a human right
conceded by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African
Charter of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all
Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Solemn Declaration of
Gender of the African Union and the Gender Declaration of the SADC;

•    That in all the AU countries the results of free, just and
transparent electoral processes be respected;

•    To comply with what has been agreed by the parties in conflict in
Zimbabwe to start the process of restoring normal life for the people
and healing the sequels of their suffering;

•    Those even in situations of conflict, women and children are, as
they always were, the people that suffer most from the effects of
violence. Therefore, we urge that their human rights are immediately
protected and respected;

•    That under no circumstances, the political situation hinders
humanitarian aid that guarantees people´s right to life ;

•    That the women have space and participate in the decision making
process of conflict resolution, reconciliation and peace in Zimbabwe,
Africa and all over the World, in accordance with Resolutions 1325 and
1820 of the UN Security Council.

•    Last but not least, monitor the following benchmarks to the
Government of National Unity as enshrined in the September 11, 2009
Global Political Agreement;

•    In conclusion, we stand in minute of silence for those mothers and
children who lost their lives in the struggle and say may your souls
rest in peace. At the same time we salute the gallant women fighters
who took the fight to where it is today. Remember you will never walk
alone.

FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
FOR WOMENS HUMAN RIGHTS
A LUTA CONTINUA! –
VICTORY IS CERTAIN
GIMAC – GENDER IS MY AGENDA CAMPAIGN