Gender and Health

LEADERS of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA/MOZA) today met with the co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa. The
meeting was requested through the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

The human rights defenders were accompanied by Dzimbabwe Chimbga from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

South African runner Caster Semenya will not be allowed to compete until a resolution has been reached in her gender case, the country's athletics association said on Thursday.

WOZA leaders, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, appeared in the Bulawayo Magistrate's Court Monday as instructed only to be informed that their court record file, which apparently is kept separate for security reasons, was not accessible.

They did not appear in court but were asked to return on Tuesday 8th December.

Today at noon the streets of Bulawayo came alive with the voices of human rights defenders as they commemorated the United Nations International Day of Peace. The words of the songs rang out - ‘its time to expose this false peace‘ and another ‘Lord, hear our cries‘.

These

Africa’s growing middle class and the rising availability of generic drugs and low-cost insurance could offer big profits for private hospital groups from emerging markets such as South Africa and India.

South African companies such as Netcare and Lenmed, and Indian group Apollo Hospitals are tentatively expanding into the African healthcare market, which the World Bank says is worth nearly $20bn a year and growing.

HARARE -  Zimbabwe's health minister said on Thursday a cholera epidemic had ended, after at least 4 200 people died and 100 000 were infected since last August, but warned new outbreaks remain a threat.

"The nation experienced the worst cholera outbreak between August and June 2009, but the epidemic has successfully been contained and has ended," Health Minister Henry Madzorera said in the official Herald newspaper.

"As the pandemic comes to an end, all districts, provinces and cities will... plan forward for future outbreaks, which have a strong likelihood of recurring in view of continued sewerage and water problems," he added.

The 13 WOZA women and one man are spending another night in custody in remand prisons in Harare.  The State’s appeal against bail awarded in the magistrates court May 30 was due to be heard today.

However, the State only filed their arguments late yesterday afternoon, which meant the ZLHR lawyer representing WOZA could only submit their arguments this morning. 

Judge Hlatshwayo said that he needed time to read them and postponed the hearing until tomorrow. If the State’s case fails, the members should be  released tomorrow. 

HARARE - Twelve women will be honoured this weekend at a ceremony to reward outstanding achievements in various spheres of life.

The awards dubbed, Celebrate a Sista, are being held for the second year running.

They are being organised by former television design and interior décor programme presenter Abigail Magwenzi.

The event, which is expected to be graced by Canadian ambassador to Zimbabwe Roxanne Dube, will be held on Saturday afternoon at Harare Club in the capital.

A Zimbabwean size zero model has been told she is too skinny to take part in London Fashion Week. Charlotte Carter has been ordered by Model 1 agency to put an extra 6kg (1st) before she can appear on catwalks.

The 22-year-old, from Zimbabwe and now living in London, told the press it made her realise she was too thin. Ultra skinny models have been criticised for putting pressure on women to risk their  health slimming too much.

HARARE -- In southern Africa for the past two decades, casual sex helped to fuel the worst epidemics of HIV and AIDS in the world. In Zimbabwe, however, fewer people are taking chances anymore, making this otherwise beleaguered nation an unlikely bright spot in Africa's battle against AIDS.

''Search every guy's wallet, and you'll find a condom,'' said Tinashe, a bespectacled, easygoing 28-year-old. ``No one is having sex without a condom. People are scared of HIV.''

That generational shift toward less casual sex and

HARARE  - The U.S. government said on Thursday it would provide $18 million worth of life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to help Zimbabwe add 40,000 people to its HIV/AIDS treatment program.

The southern African country is among the worst hit by the epidemic, which kills more than 3,000 people every week and accounts for 70 percent of hospital admissions.

In a joint announcement, U.S. ambassador Christopher Dell and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health David Parirenyatwa said ARVs worth $15 million would be made available over three years, while $3 million would be used to acquire rapid HIV testing kits over the same period.

HARARE - ‘‘In terms of the number of women in government, yes, we are making progress. But if you dig deep about why these women were appointed you will find that they are only important when it is voting time,'' says Zhean Gwaze, a gender activist and journalist.

She contends that women in government are simply there to serve the interests of male politicians. Human rights activist Alice Chibwe agrees: ‘‘We have a female vice-president but what matters is the job that she is doing. She is not doing any qualitative work to further the interests of women.

‘‘This is one of the reasons why the realization of gender equality by 2015 becomes a big joke," says Chibwe, who works for the Southern African Human Rights Trust (SAHRIT), a non-governmental organization with a special interest in human rights work. The United Nations' Millennium Development Goals set 2015 as the target year for the advancement of gender equality.

AT LEAST 88 pupils — all below the age of 16 — were sexually abused by teachers and close relatives in Manicaland Province between January and March this year, a quarterly review by the province’s judiciary has revealed.

Of the 88 cases, 56 were tried and completed with the State securing convictions, according to the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

The other 32 cases are still being tried.

The review, which was handed over to the Victim Friendly Unit by the province’s judiciary this week, reveals that 46 pupils were abused in January, 21 in February and 21 others in March.