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| digital storytelling viewing |
The
commemorations drew participants from all sections of Reigate district in
Bulawayo, including the District Administrator, the Zimbabwe Republic Police,
Mother’s Union members of the Methodist Church and Noah’s Ark ministries, the
media fraternity, women’s groups and young people.
The
commemorations were held under the United Nations theme, A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women. The
theme seeks to strengthen international community’s commitment to put an end to
violence against women.
Speaking
during the commemorations, Pastor Febbie Chuma, who is the Chairperson of the
Creative Centre for Communication and Development, attributed the increase in
violence against women to some negative cultural and religious practices that
relegate women to subservient roles.
“There
are some religious people who seek to (mis)-use the Bible to oppress women by
saying that God created a woman just to be a man’s helper yet God created man
and woman equal,” said Pastor Chuma.
The
commemorations were marked by discussions based on digital stories produced by
grassroots women narrating their personal experiences on issues such as HIV/AIDS,
unemployment, alcohol abuse, disability and teenage marriages and pregnancy. Officials
from the District administrator’s office read the speech by the United Nations
Secretary General, Mr. Ban Kimoon.
CCCD
director, Ms Gertrude Pswarayi said that her organisations seeks to bring
voices of marginalised women and girls to the fore.
We
firmly believe that these digital stories will inspire both men and women to
work together as equal partners in ending violence against women and girls,”
says Gertrude Pswarayi, CCCD Director.
The
UN Women estimates that up to 50% of sexual assaults are committed against
girls under the age of 16, 603 million women live in countries where domestic
violence is not yet considered a crime, up to 70% of women in the world report
having experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their
lifetime and that over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married
before the age of 18.
It
is against such shocking statistics that the organisation was adding the new
voices to challenge violence against women.
