Women, Peace and Security Initiatives: Zimbabwe

Women of Zimbabwe Arise: Come Foward

Join us at 9 am for a thirty-minute inter-denominational service, followed by a peaceful procession at: Harare Central Baptist Church 2nd St/ Fife Ave Bulawayo: St Marys Catholic Cathedral, Lobengula St /9th Ave London: Solidarity protest at Zimbabwe House in London, at 5.30pm. Zimbabwe House, 429 The Strand, WC1 (Nearest tube: Charing Cross) email for more info.

Our protest message is: DIGNIFY US WITH A NEW CONSTITUTION. DO NOT STRIP WOMEN OF THEIR RIGHTS.

What we expect of participants: ¨ Attend the walk in solidarity from 9 to 11am on Monday. ¨ Or gather friends together at your home to hold a prayer meeting for Zimbabwean women. ¨ Those attending street processions should show their love by bringing flowers to hand out as they walk. Come dressed in white for peace. ¨ If you cannot join us, demonstrate at your closest shopping centre. We, the mothers of the nation, would like Zimbabweans to realise that the Constitution is supposed to be the mother of all laws. Zimbabweans no longer respect this mother and have neglected her badly before and after Independence. We believe that this is the reason this mother is now giving birth to abnormal children. Public Order & Security Act, POSA and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, AIPPA are two of her notorious children. POSA is mad and out of control and AIPPA makes us dummies. It is from a woman's body that life begins and this is also true of the Constitution. We appeal to Zimbabweans to respect and dignify the constitution as they would any mother. This mother of ours was only half dressed in Lancaster and her clothes are now tattered and torn leaving her naked and open to abuse by evil men.

We, the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) are saying that the Constitution of Zimbabwe is being gang raped and forced to produce the most notorious kinds of children. As mothers, we are calling for the nation to respect us and dignify us with a new Constitution. Only then can good and clean laws be birthed and nurtured for growth. DIGNIFY US WITH A NEW CONSTITUTION. DO NOT STRIP WOMEN OF THEIR RIGHTS.

MUGABE PROMISED TO PROTECT WOMENS RIGHTS! IS HE DOING THAT?
Together with other African leaders, Robert Mugabe signed the "PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA" on 16 November 2001, to make sure that ALL rights of ALL women are protected.By signing this Protocol, Robert Mugabe promised to [among other things]: ¨ End discrimination against Women ¨ Respect Women's dignity ¨ Protect Women's right to life and security.

Mugabe pledged that to do this he would: ¨ Prevent and prohibit violence against women in public and private spheres ¨ Promote peace
education to break the culture of violence against women ¨ Punish perpetrators of violence against women ¨ Focus on the rehabilitation
of women victims of violence. For women to be fully dignified they must have equality, freedom, peace, justice, solidarity and democracy. They must not be exploited or degraded.

HAVE THESE THINGS HAPPENED? WE MUST HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR PROMISES!!

From more info on WOZA, write: Box FM 701, Famona, Bulawayo Telephone
(+263) 11-213-885 / 91 300 456 / 23 514 895 Telefax 9-63978 Email: woza@mango.zw

For progress reports on the day, please call Crisis Coalition (+263) 4-442988 Harare or mobile (+263)91 288 605 email: [info@crisis.co.zw]
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (+263) 4-706981 email: [zlhr@icon.co.zw] From the Shona and Ndebele translation of this email
and full ratified Protocol To The African Charter On Human And Peoples' Rights On The Rights Of Women In Africa"

AFRICAFILES www.africafiles.org is a network of volunteers relaying African perspectives and alternative analyses for viable human development in the interest of justice and human rights.

AFRICA INFOSERV - Information, and analytical articles from alternative sources <nicoldl@sympatico.ca>
AT ISSUE FORUM - Current hot topics, post your comments <cjhincks@sympatico.ca>
ACTION FOCUS - urgent actions <dchesla@hotmail.com>

Africafiles, 99 Kimberley Ave Toronto M4E 2Z4 Canada. <info@africafiles.org>