Zim, Malawi push for mandatory rape sentencing

RAPE remains one of the major hindrances limiting women’s full participation in politics and leadership and a tough mandatory sentence will go a long way in protecting women, girls, boys and men.

On March 31, 2021, The Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (Walpe) in partnership with Youth and Society Malawi (YAS) with support from Oxfam Zimbabwe conducted a regional virtual discussion on mandatory rape sentencing.

The meeting was attended by women’s rights activists from both countries, human rights law experts, representatives from the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and Malawi Human Rights Commission.

Women-led community based organisations, aspiring women leaders, men and traditional leaders also attended the discussion.

At the core of the dialogue was how rape in all its forms continues to be used to silence political opponents in the two countries and the Sadc region as a whole.

Various proposals were made on how this menace can be eradicated and this include putting in place mandatory rape sentences in the African continent.

YAS is pushing for life mandatory rape sentencing in Malawi while Walpe is pushing for 40 years minimum sentencing in Zimbabwe.

Walpe’s position to push for 40 years’ minimum sentencing is in line with the Women’s Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises ministry’s 40-year mandatory sentencing campaign.

Some of the recommendations that came out from the virtual meeting include:

• The need to develop a comprehensive communication plan and an advocacy strategy to popularise the #NoToRape campaign and make communities understand why it is important to have mandatory rape sentencing in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole.

• The need to engage policy makers to treat the issue of mandatory rape sentencing with the urgency it deserves in order to curb the vice.

• Alignment of the legislation to the constitution on the issue around age consent and definition of young persons.

• There is need to engage men and boys to be champions of the #NoToRape campaign so that they can reach out to their counterparts on the ills of rape.

• Engaging political parties to put in place laws, policies and guidelines that protect women political activists from sexual abuse.

• Encouraging young women, women with disabilities and women in political parties to come out and report any cases of rape including sexual harassment which is prevalent in many political parties.

• Urging government to speed up the setting up of section 210 which provides for complaints against members of the security forces. This will help women report cases of abuse perpetrated by members of the police and army.