Violence Against Women swept under the carpet

I have just recieved an email from a collegue in Zimbabwe. She writes:

Year in year out we commemorate the 16 days of activism against VAW and it is a time for us to really evaluate and ponder on the work that we are doing, if at all it is leaving a positive mark in women’s lives. The attached pictures are of a young woman who was recently physically abused by her husband, her hair was plucked out and her tummy had to be operated as her intestines had been damaged, she was hospitalized at one of the Hospitals in Harare whilst her husband was remanded in custody. Musasa came to know of this woman when she was being detained at the hospital for failure to pay her medical bills, honestly our health sector has to take cognizant of women who are battered by their husbands, expecting them to pay for their medical bills is exposing them to a double jeopardy. She has two minor children both of whom are below the age of 5. I am sorry the pictures are graphic but I thought they would be thought provoking to us as actors in the Gender sector, are we really doing enough?!!!!!!!

On a lighter note this year's International theme is STRUCTURES OF VIOLENCE DEFINING THE INTERSECTIONS OF MILITARISM AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. From this International theme a committee was set up to craft a national theme which speaks to Zimbabwe 's situation and which is also easily understood by everyone. This year’s national theme is:

STRUCTURES OF VIOLENCE: DEFINING SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.