Rape ordeals blamed on covid-19 school closure

 By ANNIE ZULU

THE COVID-19 outbreak is considered as among the worst pandemics in human history but for 14-year-old Mapalo (not real name), the virus remains the greatest nightmare that will forever remain engraved in her mind.

Mapalo, who is in her ninth grade and is scheduled to write her junior secondary school examinations in December, was raped by two men in her neighbourhood in Kafue District of Lusaka Province three weeks after Government indefinitely closed all schools, colleges and universities on March 20, 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak.

With teary eyes, she told me how the unfortunate incident happened.

She was on her way back home from escorting her study mate and friend when she was attacked and dragged to a deserted unfinished structure, a few metres from her house during midday, and raped.

“My friend and I used to study from my place. On that particular day we had finished studying and as usual escorted her, but on my way back home around 2 pm two men who were both tall and dark in complexion stopped me, claiming that they wanted to ask me something.

“I cannot remember what happened to me next, the only thing I remember is I was laying on the floor in unfinished house alone and I had no underwear on me.

“When I stood up I felt pain all over my body and I had bruises on my private parts. I knew I had just been raped, I was so scared and I didn´t know what to do,” she narrated.

Image by UNICEF Zambia

Even though it has been almost seven months since the whole ordeal happened, Mapalo is still traumatised and does not seem get over it.

She has not been herself since the incident, as she is always feeling nervous and her performance at school has been largely affected.

She blames her predicament on the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to her, if there was no outbreak of the pandemic, the rape incident wouldn´t have happened as she was going to be at school at that particular time.

“Sometimes I feel if things were normal, if there was no COVID-19 and schools were not closed, none of that would have happened to me because I was going to be at school with my friends,” Mapalo said.

Mapalo’s aunt who preferred to be identified as Rachael narrated that she only came to know about what happened to her niece two weeks after the incident through a family friend who she (Mapalo) had told.

“I noticed some changes in her behaviour, she was lost in thoughts, which was so unusual of her. There was just something strange about her, I asked her several times if she was sick but she refused. It never crossed my mind that she could have been raped, because she was always home, considering the fact that COVID-19 was at its peak that time and everyone was adhering to the stay-home directive.

“I only knew about the incident, when a neighbour and family friend she had confided in came to talk to me and that was two weeks later. This whole thing has left me devastated too, I feel like I have failed my niece,” Rachael said.

She stressed that even though the matter was reported to the police, nothing much had been done to find the culprits.

Rachael only hopes that one day her niece would get the justice she deserves, adding that the incident had left her shattered.

“She still looks confused and traumatised. I have tried talking to her, but it has not helped that much. I would like to see the culprits brought to book, because this is wickedness. How can human beings do this to an innocent girl? This is totally wrong, ” she said.

Another woman of Lusaka who spoke to me on condition of anonymity, also narrated to me to how her 8-year-old daughter was molested by her 16 -year-old nephew during the prolonged closure of schools.

The woman, who is a single mother of three used to leave her two sons aged 4 and 6 and her 8-year-old daughter with their cousin, while she went to sell vegetables at a nearby junction.

She said it was during these few hours that she was away from home that her daughter was sexually abused by her teenage nephew.

“When schools were closed following the outbreak of COVID-19, I left my children under the care of my 16-year -old nephew who is in his 10^thgrade. I am a single mother and I had gone out to sell vegetables and look for money to feed my family even at the peak of the pandemic. However, I was only aware from home for approximately 5 hours everyday. ”

“I would leave home for the junction at 9am and come back around 14:00hrs, little did I know that during this short period of time I was away my daughter was being sexually abused by her cousin, ” she said.

According to her, she knew about her daughter´s rape scenario when she complained to her about her stomach and private part hurting one evening.

“When I asked my daughter why she was experiencing this kind of pain, she told me her cousin has been removing her pant and touching her private parts each time I was out. I interrogated the boy and he admitted. This really shocked me because I trusted him and he never looked like someone who could do such a thing. I treated him like my own child and he was like a big brother to my children,” she said.

These two stories are among the many stories of children, especially girls who have been defiled and sexually abused during the prolonged closure of schools as a result of COVID-19.

Zambia recorded its first case of COVID-19 on March 18, 2020 and Government immediately ordered the indefinite closure of all schools, colleges and universities, as one of the containment measures.

Although examination classes were allowed to reopen later in July, the Government only ordered the rest of the classes to reopen on September 14, 2020.

During this prolonged school closure, a day hardly passed without stories of child defilement in the country.

The Zambia Police Gender Based Violence first quarter statistics report of 2020 indicates that a total number 633 cases of child defilement were reported, while the second quarter report shows that 554 cases were recorded countrywide totalling 1 187 cases in the two quarters.

These were just cases recorded by the Zambia police, however, there are more cases of child defilement which might have been swept under the carpet and not reported.

Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) Zambia an organisation which responds to the socio-legal needs of women in the region and to develop women’s rights methodologies, notes that the closure of schools during lockdown created room for child abuse, especially sexual abuse.

WLSA Zambia Programme Manager Besa Mwansa said in an interview that this was because children spent much time at home and in their neighbourhood which exposed them to perpetrators.

"The closure of schools itself became the trigger in the sense that children who ordinarily go to school in the morning and come back in the afternoon were being locked down with abusers in  their homes and communities," Ms Mwansa said.

She stressed that the outbreak of COVID-19 proved that there was still a lot that needs to be done to protect children from defilement in an event of a pandemic and also how to quickly respond to defilement cases.

"There is need to strengthen our community response, especially on the issue of shelters and safe spaces where would the children be taken to in an event there is need to remove them from their homes,” she wondered.

Defilement has both physiological and psychological effects on children which include distress, fear, shame, stigmatisation and discrimination

Victims face additional challenges with the lack of structural social service systems in place in Zambia, access to hotlines and shelters. Also, civil society groups and nongovernment organisations specialised in providing support and legal expertise are few.

Happy International Day of The Girl

The greatest disservice we will do to our girls is to relegate them to the background.

Many of our forefathers did it, we should not, we will not.

Never again.

We know better.

Our girls will have a voice.

Our girls will have equal playing ground to thrive.

Our girls will take up CenterStage.

Our girls will live free from subjugation, gender based-discrimination, gender-based violence, poverty, illiteracy and misogyny.

Our girls will break glass ceilings and shine so bright.

Our girls will have dreams and be free to pursue them, without the weight of patriarchy on their shoulders dragging them down.

Our girls will make us proud.

Ann Zulu

All of us owe ours girls equal right and opportunity.

We should all join the fight for a better future for girls.

Shame on you if by your words or actions you deny any girl her right to live free and thrive.

Happy International Day of The Girl to all the lovely girls out there.

Shine baby girls.

Yours Ann Zulu.

Annette Tembo: A Challenge for Women

“Until EVERY young girl can see themselves represented in government, the work is not done.” EMILY's List.

By ANN ZULU and BESA MULAYE

In Zambia, like many African countries, it is believed that men are connected with ‘hard’ politics and women with ‘soft’ politics at home. This invariably leaves women out when it comes to making important decisions about how the country should be run, but also at a more personal level on issues that affect women such as reproductive health.

Think about it, do you really want a group of men deciding on your reproductive and sexual health? This toxic mentality that women only have a say at home has led to the continued under-representation of women in decision making positions over the years. Even decisions that directly affect women.

Currently, there are only 28 women out of 165 Members of Parliament (MP) in Zambia, yet women make up 51 percent of the Zambian population. The fact that decisions are made for women and that they are actively or passively left out is unacceptable.

Why is it a radical idea to have all female MPs in the Zambian parliament? It is after all normal to have an all-male parliament. Why is it a radical idea to have 50% female representation in parliament? Are we truly a democracy when, to borrow from author Agnes Ngoma Leslie, ‘public participation in the political and democratic process’ is only reserved for some?

Annette Hamiatu Tembo, is an aspiring Zambian female politician. She has guts and intends to change this political narrative. She is ready to take on her male counterparts come the 2021 General Elections. Inspired by South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Winnie Mandela, Annette began her political career in 2017. She wants to be a Member of Parliament (MP) and will work with people at a grassroots level to improve their lives.

Annette Tembo

“I grew up in the ghetto, Lusaka´s Chibolya Compound, so seeing the high rate of poverty that I was surrounded with, how alcohol and drugs were being abused by women and youth, and also the high levels of Gender Based Violence, has given me a push to want to serve my community,” says Annette. She adds that her Muslim religion has also contributed to her desire to serve people, as she has been serving in the mosque since her childhood.

Asked how her family has taken her political ventures especially considering that her family has observed a traditional interpretation of Islamic law that places serious restrictions on women, Annette said it was a challenge at first because of the hostility that comes with politics. But finally, they accepted it as her passion and started to support her.

“My family understands my desire to bring positive change in people’s lives. Although my mom sometimes gets scared and I understand it is normal. Being Islam as a woman does not stop me from aspiring for political office,” she said.

Annette feels that the challenges that women and girls continue to face, such as the unfair distribution of resources and discriminatory laws among others, can only be addressed if women have equal representation in decision making positions. Annette urges women to stop shunning politics for fear of being harassed, but rather stand up for their rights and demand positive change.

Are we not after all full citizens who should equally be involved in the development of our country?

“Yes, the political situation in Zambia can be violent and there are so many discriminatory remarks against women. We have heard discriminatory remarks against female politicians such as Dorah Siliya, Nkandu Luo, Mumbi Phiri and Edith Nawakwi, but for how long are we going to live in fear? Enough is enough, it is time we stood up and made a change,” implored Annette.

In this writer's opinion: our personal feelings about specific female politicians aside, can we all agree that they do not get criticised as their male counterparts do? Do male politicians typically get critiqued for how they dress? Do sexist judgments such as ‘she should be at home taking care of her family’ ever get thrown at male politicians? What would Zambia look like, if the brave women who venture into politics were engaged and criticised on the substance of their politics, the proposals and the positions they support, rather than what they wear, or the threadbare 'she should be home, taking care of her family'. Male politicians are not criticised in this way! Let us commit to engage our female politicians on matters of substance, as we do for our male politicians. Take a moment and imagine what Zambia would be like if parliament had 165 female MPs.

Leslie’s research asserts that Female MPs face challenges on many levels including financial (fundraising and campaigning), social, and cultural. That means even after they do beat the odds and actually get elected, they still face challenges. Leslie reminds us that Hon. Professor Nkandu Luo was once asked to leave parliament because of the way she was dressed. In fact, Leslie reports, Hon. Professor Nkandu Luo has shared that her high level of education often works against her.

The list of reasons why we should all consider running for public office is probably endless. For example, you probably do not want an all-male panel deciding on issues related to your care if you are ever pregnant. To this end Annette has a challenge for us all:

“I am challenging my fellow young women to start participating in politics, we need to fight for ourselves and for our children. If we don’t, then who will fight for us? For how long have these male counterparts been MPs and has anything changed? Have our rights improved? The answer is no, we need to get up and fight."

Special credit to TZTF

Check your brand of feminism

 ANN ZULU Writes

As much as we urge women to make money and be financially independent, do not make it a criterion for gender equality.

Saying "make money so men will consider you equal" is untrue, sexist, unrealistic and elitist.

Untrue because even women that are multimillionaires are still disrespected and considered inferior by men. We see it happen everyday where rich and educated women are considered useless just because they are women. Money does not automatically confer you equality as a woman.

Sexist because men are respected and considered superior whether rich or poor. We do not say a poor man is inferior to a woman.

Unrealistic because there will always be poor people (both men and women) in this world. Not everyone will be rich. Not every woman will be a millionaire. Does that mean they do not deserve equality?

Elitist because it makes feminism and the struggle for equality a preserve of rich women. Feminism is for every woman. The pepper seller and the doctor. The CEO and the housewife. Therefore, basing your feminism on financial capacity is useless.

Let me put it this way, African Americans suffer racial prejudice and discrimination in America.

It is insensitive to tell them "go and make money so white people will consider you equal" when they complain of racism.

It is untrue because rich black folks also experience racism. Also, not all black folks will be rich and those poor black people deserve equality and humanity.

Money grants women a certain level of security in the society, no doubt. Which is why we urge women to make money. But money or financial status should not be a criterion for gender equality.

Money should be a tool for female empowerment not a determinant for female empowerment.

Check your brand of feminism. If it thrives on broke-shaming women and telling them your face cream can feed their family, you, my dear woman, are despicable.

Zambian women at AFWID

By ANN ZULU in Johannesburg, South Africa


THE air was on Sunday filled with excitement at the OR Tambo International Airport as women across the African continent flocked in to attend the ongoing African Women in Dialogue (AFWID) conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A delegation of 16 participants from Zambia which included women from sectors such as the Social Welfare, Law, Education, Media, Politics and Business among others touched down in johannesberg at exactly 15: 15 hours on November 3, 2019.

Among the noticable faces on the Zambian deligation team are Gender Activist and Former NGOCC Chairperson Sarah Longwe and Women and  Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) National Director Maureen  Tresha.

 Despite some logistical challenges  at the airport, the delegates entered  Birchwood Hotel, the venue for the event wide eyed and with joy.

2019 AFWID Summit Zambian participants

The Conference started on Monday November, 4 and is expected  to end on Friday November 8, 2019.

AFWID is an inclusive platform of dialogue founded by Former South African First Lady Zanela Mbeki and seeks to unite African women from all walks of life, with a bias towards women who live in under resourced rural and urban areas, under one roof to deliberatye on issues of continental importance.

The platform is not representative of any organisation or political opinion, as women are encouraged to speak theirf own voices according to theirf own perspectives and personal experiences.

It gives voice to the perspectives and experiences of thousands of African women including rural and urban women, politicians, public servants, women of various religios denominations, faith based formations, academics, development practitioners, traditional leaders, proffesionals from diverse fields and youth, to share opinions and exchange views and review policies on themes crafted by national, continental and global agendas.

Some of the objectives of AFWID are to contribute towards attaining a united voice African women on continental issues, strengthen national regional and continental networks of women organisations and review continental stratgegies and programmes which are aimed at impacting African women.

This year´s conference is attended by 1000 women from all over Africa.

The official opening ceremony

Women from 55 African countries gathered at the second AFWID conference at the Birchwood Conference Centre, under the theme “Women`s Power and Voices as Agents of Change”.

The Wits Choir led the deligates to singing the African Union anthen and later the South African National anthem, as the host of the event.

The Choir kept the audience enttertained with musical and dance performances. Deligates joined in the dances, even though most of them could hardly understand the South African languages which the songs were mostly being sung.

Welcoming message

The beautifully dressed Programme Director, Lebogang Chaka welcomed the deligates with a word of encouragement reminding women of the important role they play in the development of the African continent.

Zanela  Mbeki Development Trust Trustee Mojanku Gumbu reteirated the need for women to get united and address the challenges affecting them.

Ms Gumbu said the time had come for African women to hold hands and work together.

“If we stand up together as women and speak with one voice, our voice will be heard. The time has come has come for us to take our rightful position and respect in the world,” Ms Gumbu said.

She said this year`s theme “Women`s Power and Voices as Agents of Change” emphasise that it is in the hands of women to effect the change they want.

She urged women to seize their power to change their own conditiotions, and dire societal conditions they faced.

Ms Gumbu reiterated that the forum gave voice to all women, especially to those who ten to get left behind.

Zambia´s Perspective

In an interview with this reporter, Women and  Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) National Director Maureen  Tresha thanked the organisers of the conference.

Ms Tresha said the event was an opportunity for Zambian women to learn various strategies that were being implimated by other African countries to address issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV), Early Marriage and Underrepresntation of women in decision making.

“This event is very important, it brings women from various countries and it is from here we get to learn how far other women have gone in women´s rights in their various countries,” Ms Tresha said.

Rise against sexual harassment at work place, women urged

 ANN ZULU Writes

WOMEN should resist all discriminatory practices against them at their workplaces to ensure that they enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts, Gender Activist Betty Mumba has said.

Ms Mumba urged women not to sit down, but fight for their rights.

“Women need to stand up for their right, because you won’t get it on a silver platter,” Ms Mumba said.

She mentioned some of the discriminations against women as height, when being recruited into the security agencies, employing women because of their looks or body size, domestic mistreatment and abuse, demanding sexual favours before employment, sexual harassment and others.

Ms Mumba noted that though there were laws that protected women at their workplaces, there was the need to increase advocacy and consultations with target institutions to have such discriminations eroded.

She said they should have sexual harassment policies popularised in all institutions.

Ms Mumba also called on institutions not to wait till they were dragged to court on such discriminatory practices when they could administratively review their policies to be in line with the constitution.

She further called for sensitisation, saying a number of female workers did not know their labour rights, thus, the need to be educated on it.

She said it was imperative that the citizenry, especially women, were empowered to stand up for those rights and not die in silence, even if their institutions do not make them aware.

Ms Mumba explained that though women formed the majority of the world’s population, they were denied many of their rights and marginalised due to patriarchy, culture and gender stereotypes.

ALERT! RAPIST!!

ANN ZULU writes 

The Rape culture in our Zambian society is becoming too extreme and we can no longer afford to ignore it or sweep it under the carpet - that is what got us here anyway.

Rapist

We need massive sensitization of our society, both online, offline, in schools, worship places, market places, work places, in cities, towns and rural communities.

The Government, the media, non governmental organizations, religious and academic institutions has a lot of role to play in reforming our society, to make it sane and safe for all, and for our future children.

There is absolutely no doubt that many parents of past generations failed their sons woefully by not teaching them the right values, especially where it concerns females and their bodies, consent, domestic chores, empathy, discipline, self control, anger management, their roles as husbands and fathers, equality of all humans- irrespective of gender...

The list is endless.

Please parents of this generation do not make the same mistakes. You must task yourselves to do better.  That is to raise boys right, not to neglect their mental and emotional well-being,

to teach them the right values - not the usual "you are a man and superior, and money is a man's pride" teachings that has caused so much irreparable damages.

The change we want begins with each and every one of us. It begins with the values we each both girls and boys. It begins with holding each other accountable. It should not be business as usual people. All hands has to be on deck if we want to get this right. Let's start taking actions now, please.

This foolish boy in the picture had the audacity to post in his University group chat about indulging in rape. The fact that his campus knew and no one batted an eye is heartbreaking. His name is JEFFREY, a student from the Copperbelt University (CBU).

Photo by:  Mwangala Monde.