Zim women suffer most – Amnesty

economic and social problems that are motivating women to protest ” rather than attacking them and criminalising their legitimate activities in defence of human rights,” said Irene Khan, the secretary general of AI.
“Zimbabwean women have demonstrated incredible resilience, bravery and determination in the face of increasing government repression. They are aware of the dangers they face but refuse to be intimidated into submission,” she said.
Women activists told Amnesty that police often accuse them of being used by the British and American governments to overthrow the Zimbabwean government and of being agents of regime change. This is often followed by random beatings, with some women suffering serious injuries, including broken limbs.
“The Zimbabwean government is not only making false accusations against women activists, it is also failing to acknowledge its role in creating the desperate situation in which these women find themselves. One way in which the government is doing this is by trying to deny a direct causal relationship between its policies and the deepening poverty and spiralling human rights crisis in the country,” said Khan.
She urged SADC leaders to insist that Mugabe immediately stop the intimidation, ill’treatment, torture and harassment of critics of government policies. – Staff reporter