There have been reports of alleged rising political tension and cases resulting in physical and cyber-attacks targeting voters and political activists, particularly women in Zimbabwe.
Development Diaries reports that the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) has raised concerns over human rights abuses.
In a statement, ACHPR said although there have been strides to promote gender balance in politics, the prevailing situation prevented full participation of female politicians.
‘The ACHPR, however, expresses deep concern over reports of alleged escalating political tension and incidents that have resulted in offline and online attacks targeting voters and members of political parties, with a particular focus on women’, the commission noted.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), in a 2017 study, revealed that 74 percent of women said they were not interested in participating in elections for fear of violence.
It is reported that fewer women in Zimbabwe have participated as candidates in elections since the country’s independence in 1980, compared to men.
According to a report by Aljazeera, the Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) recorded 37 cases of women reportedly maimed, tortured and even killed for political reasons from 2018 to 2022.
Also, a 2018 report by International Foundation for Electoral Studies (IFES) found that women who run for office in Zimbabwe face a variety of persistent challenges, with the most significant being discrimination and harassment.
It is understood that of the 12 presidential candidates in Zimbabwe, there is only one female while there has been a significant reduction of women parliamentary and councillor aspirants from 14 percent to ten percent in 2018 and 2023, respectively.
Development Diaries calls on the government of Zimbabwe to observe the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol).
Photo source: OpenDemocracy
