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
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