Ramifications of VAWP Zimbabwe Peace Project RAMIFICATIONS OF VAWP ON WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS Figure 8 and 9 typify the fact that VAWP makes politics an unsafe venture for women to participate in. When confronted with VAWP, some women quit politics altogether. Some lose their support; some lose confidence and esteem while others become scared of joining politics. During the focus group discussions, some women told ZPP that they harbored suicidal thoughts as a result of the VAWP they experienced. Other women were left homeless after their houses were destroyed by their opponents. Some women are yet to heal from the wounds that were inflicted on them during the physical assaults. Others are yet to heal from the bereavement of losing family members (spouses and children) due to VAWP. Other participants told ZPP that they are suffering from depression as a result of the VAWP they experienced. It was however interesting to also note that a significant proportion of the women (31.54%) stated that the VAWP they experienced did not deter them. Rather, it made them more determined to participate in politics. For most women who participated in the 9 focus group discussion, VAWP is an additional layer of vulnerability in the sense that women who dare to participate in politics have to overcome several other daunting odds. For example, women's access to financial resources is limited compared to their male counterparts. They have to overcome patriarchy, among other barriers. Figure 8: Impact of VAWP on women participation in politics Figure 9: Impact of VAWP on women participation in politics Table 2: Number of women who considered quitting politics as a result of VAWP 21

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