A group of women in Harare mostly widows and single mothers today converged at the Robert Mugabe Square under the banner #WomenLivesMatter as part of commemorations to mark 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence.
The widows shared their testimonies of how gender based violence had impacted their lives and also gave solutions to ending the vice.
Mrs Mary Agrippa (65) said she had been a widow for the last 19 years and has had to struggle to raise her three children.
“It has been 19 years since my husband died and I had to fend for the family going to Mozambique to sell my wares just to put food on the table.
“I could have remarried but instead I chose to work for myself and eke out a decent living from my small business. All my children are grown up now and some of them married and I am happy to share with your my story,” she said.
Another widow, Mrs Heather Kazangarare of Kambuzuma (65) told of how she survived abuse at the hands of her late husband.
She said family members also made her life miserable as they evicted her from the house she used to stay with her husband.
“I was really traumatized and at times I suffered physical abuse such that I still have migraines from beatings. Being a widow is not easy but then God always provide everything. I raised my six children well and they now have their own homes and that is what is important,” she said.
A British woman Tania Haden-tebb (47) briefly joined the group before she went to the Magistrate Court where she has a case against her ex-lover of years for abuse.
Elizabeth Parirenyatwa (41), who once worked as a prison officer and also responsible for bringing the widows together, said it was important for Government to empower and educate women on GBV.
“I have seen women being jailed for crimes of the heart. Some women had to go to extremes and commit murder over infidelity and that is not how it should go.
“There is violence against women and men as well but what we are saying is that women should be empowered to do business and be educated on how to stop violence,” she said.
She said #WomenLivesMatter brought together women from across social status, colour and creed.
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