Category Archives: Date Rape

Date Rape, SRHR

Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Rights: Young women’s experiences

The resulting lack of knowledge and access to Sexual Health services amongst young people in societies impedes the majority of them to live healthy lives. Young people face a myriad of challenges, which include Gender-Based Violence, child marriages, HIV infection, amongst other negative Reproductive Health challenges.

Adolescent Girls and Young Women are experiencing a disproportionate burden and risk to HIV, for example, young women (20-24) have HIV prevalence 2.78 times greater than their male peers. An ongoing Zimbabwe mode of transmission study states that the highest number of new infections – more than 16,000 a year – occur among never-married women.  41% of new HIV infections are amongst Adolescent Girls and Young Women. Among young women, HIV prevalence increases with age, from  2.7% of women aged 15-17 to 13.9% of women age 23-24. One can attest to these numbers stirring debate and shock amongst health service providers. It is therefore vital to strengthen Adolescent programs to ensure, prevention, protection/support.

Katswe Sistahood, Simba Utano project is a collaborative project which aims to address the lack of knowledge and challenges on access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights services faced by young women and girls through fostering a well-informed and healthy conversation about bodily autonomy and comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. The goal is to increase or extend structures of law that help and cater to women seeking Sexual Health services in mainstream spaces whilst promoting the uptake of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights services by adolescent girls and young women.

    Katswe’s strategy is to create a movement of activists that speak out on the importance of women and adolescents’ access to Sexual Reproductive Health. Using a cascading model young women have been trained in order to cascade awareness on SRHR in their communities thus creating a web of highly energized advocates and champions. These champions help in information sharing and have managed to create diverse groups of young people who stand up to start conversations around Sexual Health in various communities in Mazowe and Goromonzi.

    Kindra Chidamba and Kudzai Chakauya are Simba Utano Facilitators who are leading pachoto groups to elevate dialogues around Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.

    According to Kindra, most young people are indulging in sex at a young age hence pressuring others to also indulge. These young women are entering into sexual relationships without much knowledge around consent, condom negotiation and other forms of contraception hence increasing their vulnerability to teen pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. Most young women are, therefore “stuck” without education and unfathered babies. She shares a story “ A girl got pregnant when she was 14. As soon as she told the young man ( the father of the child), he quickly disappeared leaving her to cater for the child alone. She could not continue with her studies and her family is now taking care of her and the child. Young women like Kindra and Kudzi have been helping other young women with SRHR information and also referring them to service providers for immediate help or services. Kindra says her main advocacy message is around condom use because it prevents pregnancy, STIs, and HIV. The condom is the full package: Prevention. Protection. Satisfaction.

    Kudzi, says, date rape is the most common phenomenon around early sexual debut. Young women in order to “sustain” their relationships indulge in sex without their consent. Most young women fall victim but cannot report it because of the relationship status. Many times, the justice system fails to assist young women and blames them for initiating sexual advances.  

    Despite awareness sessions, many young girls continue to fall victim to unintended pregnancy. A few of them have dropped out of the program because they are now shy. It is therefore vital to keep extending support systems in order to reach out to parents, the church, and the school.

    “When the SRHR awareness web becomes bigger, more young women can be accommodated and supported” 

    #SimbaUtano

    Date Rape

    Stories told: DATE RAPE

    When she mentioned him, it showed she despised him, “He irritates me”, she said frowning her beautiful face. He wanted to just have a ‘talk’ with her and she kept refusing. Just like any other guy wooing a girl, he kept on pursuing her until she got used to him being around. The idea of the tall buffy guy stalking her got into her head and she became obsessed. She told me about him again, but this time around her tone had changed. I saw a difference, she really liked him. She could not admit it but it was written all over her face. The glow in her eyes, the smile she made whenever she mentioned his name. It gave her an uncontrollable excitement, it aroused her and it was obvious that my friend was in love. They got together. She said he was the most amazing thing that had ever happen to her, “too good to be true”. He was the perfect guy I equally adored, he made my friend happy.

    Until she came back with a black eye. He started showing the dark side of him that scared the hell out of my friend. She was scared of him, his actions, and what he could do to her. But she stayed. She loved him. As a concerned friend I told her to leave him yet she didn’t think it was necessary because it was only the first time. She gave him a second chance. It happened again, hence I confronted him which caused her to have to choose between the two of us. When she chose him over me I was not angry, but I was scared for her. She had fallen deep and he took advantage of her. He was manipulative. The beatings continued and got worse, he would force himself on her. She confided in me and I told her that was rape. She could not believe her own boyfriend could rape her. She needed help, but the first step was for her to realize there was something wrong. Unfortunately, she was stubborn and walked away. That was the last time I saw her. The next time I did, it was at her funeral. I failed her. I could have done more. We buried her.  My friend.

    Written by Opportunity Makanga @Female

    Date Rape

    Rape is a heinous crime

    Campaign on Ending Date Rape and Securing Justice for Survivors

    A few weeks ago, a young woman walked into our office looking for help. She had been drugged and raped on a date, and had contracted an STI. She was also pregnant. This young woman, is one of the many victims of date rape who have joined our Pachoto safe spaces for support. Date Rape is rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or a potential romantic relationship between the two parties.  Date rape often occurs when seduction fails and the offender proceeds without consent. Offenders often go unpunished because victims might justify their actions using their relationship status, i.e. boyfriend or lover.

    Date Rape fuels HIV, Teenage Pregnancies, Child and Forced Marriage

    The National AIDS council reports that the HIV prevalence rate among girls aged between 15-24 is 3-4 times higher than in their male counterparts. This alarming trend can clearly be attributed to date rape, as rapists will often not use condoms. Apart from HIV, Date rape is a major driver of teenage pregnancies and when girls get pregnant, they are expected to elope, and marry the person responsible. According to a Girls Not Brides report on Zimbabwe, 1 in 3 girls are married before their 18th birthday. In many cases, families do not realise that they are marrying off their daughter to former boyfriends turned rapists.