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The courage and determination of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) in defending their rights, and all of ours, is well known. A preliminary report, based on a sample of 15% of a larger group of 2200 WOZA members interviewed, gives a telling indication of the challenges these women face.

WOZA member are at risk not only during their demonstrations, but are also victimised by the police for their participation and are isolated for later mistreatment. According to the document:

As this report was being finalised six women and a one and a half year old child were abducted by Law and Order police officers from their homes in Bulawayo during the early hours of the morning. They were taken to a mountain overlooking a river and told to tell the ‘truth’ about the whereabouts of their leaders (Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu). They were shown ropes and rocks and told they would be thrown into Khami Dam if they did not divulge information required by police officers. It was only the casual appearance of tourists, presumed to be journalists, which alarmed the officers who decided to return them to their homes, threatening that if they exposed their ordeal they would be killed.

Another recent incident was the arrest of 19 members, both male and female, from a sports stadium in Masvingo where they were playing netball and soccer. They spent 48 hours in custody and then had to ‘buy’ their freedom by paying admission of guilt fines. Another two members who went to the police station to bring them food were arrested and spent 48 hours in custody before having to also ‘buy’ their freedom.

The survey reports that 73% of WOZA members have been arrested at least once. Some members have been arrested over 25 times. Over half have been detained longer that Zimbabwe’s statutory limit of 48 hours without being brought to court. 40% of the sample have suffered physical assault, most generally at the hands of the police who arrested them, and 26% needed medical treatment for their injuries.

WOZA members stand up for their rights. In so doing, they make a difference for the whole country. They risk their comfort and safety to benefit all of us, and they deserve our support.

Here are just a few suggestions for how you can get involved:

• Join WOZA - you can find their contact details here.
• Read the report, get informed, and share your knowledge with others
• Visit the WOZA website and leave them messages of support and soidarity
• Print out WOZA materials like the People's Charter and the WOZA Moya newsletters. You can share these with your friends and colleagues, or leave them in by the sink in a public toilet, or in a combi, for others to find and read
• Contact police stations which have recently held WOZA members and urge them to not arrest demonstrators in the future, and certainly not to beat, harass, intimidate or otherwise mistreat them if they are arrested. After all, the Police Charter binds the police to "serve and protect" the people of Zimbabwe, not to "arrest and assault."

Police stations where WOZA members have been held this year include:

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Defending women
Our current electronic activism campaign highlights a recent report on political violence against members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), and encourages solidarity for these courageous defenders of human rights. Have a look and get involved.

WOZA has dispelled the myth that women in Zimbabwe are aloof and indifferent to the catastrophic consequences of misrule.
~ Arnold Tsunga

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