Africa | Zimbabwe | Crimes

Rise in rape cases cause for concern

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IN Zimbabwe, violence against women and girls has been widely discussed, but sadly the statistics of rape cases are shocking. According to records by Msasa Project, a group that provides counseling and temporary shelter to women survivors of domestic violence, on average 300 cases of violence against women are recorded monthly. Msasa Project director Netty Musanhu said 25% of women and girls in Zimbabwe experienced gender-based violence. She said relatives, neighbours and trusted people like pastors and teachers were the main perpetrators. Former Women’s Affairs minister Oppah Much
Africa | Zimbabwe | Culture

Child brides take gov’t to court over marriage laws

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Two Zimbabwean child brides have taken the government to court in a landmark bid to get child marriages declared illegal and unconstitutional in the country. In their statements, Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi argued that Zimbabwe’s Marriage Act is discriminatory because it sets the minimum age at 16 for girls while it is 18 for boys. In her court affidavit, Mudzuru – now 19 years old and still married with two children – described how child marriage and poverty created a “vicious circle” for girls like her.