The study, entitled “ Zimbabwe’s Macho Men- Politically Motivated Sexualised Violence against Men by Men”, done in collaboration with PADARE – Men’s Forum on Gender and the Tree of Life, revealed that men were not at liberty to speak out about their sexual violence experiences, making it difficult to accurately assess its scope and make possible interventions.
Political violence has haunted the political landscape in Zimbabwe for decades and the violence takes many forms including torture, beatings, arson and murder.
The report by RAU states that while various methods of inflicting harm on political opponents are well understood, only a few are documented.
“It is acknowledged but not well documented that men suffer from sexual violence perpetrated by other men during conflict: either armed conflict or low level political conflict such as in the Zimbabwean context. The immense stigma associated with rape, especially the shame, stigma and deep sense of humiliation that male victims of sexual assault face silence them,” read the report.
Speaking at the launch of the party’s election campaign manifesto at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfields last month, President Robert Mugabe challenged homosexuals to bear children or face a jail term.
“If I am going to lock you up in a house for say a year, I want you to conceive a child. If you cannot, I will send you to jail,” he said.
The RAU report stated that male victims of sexualised political violence prefer to talk about other assaults that are “more acceptable” and will not result in alienation from their wives, families and communities.
“The perception that a man who has been raped is either a homosexual or will become a homosexual as a result of the rape makes it impossible for male victims to speak out about their experiences and seek help,” read the report.
The report revealed that men are not willing to open up on sexual violence issues and attributed the reluctance to lack of information and understanding of what happens in victims’ interpersonal relationships.
“Protection mechanisms need to be set up for victims of sexual violence to enable them to receive treatment and counselling in safe spaces,” read the report.
In April 2013, RAU completed a study on Zimbabweans’ perceptions of sexual violence. A survey conducted by the advocacy group on a cross section of citizens revealed that 84 percent of the male respondents and 78 percent of the female respondents in that study agreed that men could be raped by women and by other men.
Post published in: News