Amnesty international Run 4 Rights half marathon confronts GBV in Bulawayo

Makhosethu Ndlovu 8 December 2024

Amnesty International hosted a half-marathon at Hartsfield Bulawayo yesterday to celebrate human rights and commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

Amnesty International’s half-marathon drew over 300 athletes, with women participating in large numbers, in races including 5km, 10km and 21km distances. The event, themed “Run 4 Rights,” aimed to end child marriages, obstetric fistulas and restore dignity.

In an interview with SkyzMetro FM, Campaigner at Amnesty International Tinashe Mujuru, emphasized that the organization is collaborating with traditional chiefs and the Zimbabwean parliament to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and eradicate child marriages.

“We are working with traditional chiefs , we understand those ones are the custodians of our customary laws , they are also there to enforce those customary laws in their respective villages , and we also work with parliamentary portfolio committees on gender as well. They are there to make sure that policies are there to protect the women and girls

“Recently I think there was also a law which was passed in parliament which is there , to also protect the minors and girls against child marriages, which is again a positive result and we have been engaging them to make sure that we have laws which protect and having a law I think it is a good sign that we are moving in the right direction,” said Mujuru.

Mosipatsila Nare, programs manager of the Women’s Institute for Leadership and Development, shared similar insights, emphasizing the impact of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) on communities and its effects on women.

“As the women institute leadership and development civil organisation, our goal is to see women and girls being involved in the equal footing with men, because we do realise that in our societies that we live in there are a lot of barriers around women’s participation ,” said Nare

“This year’s theme of ending child marriages is really significant work because everyday we realise that child marriages cut off the potential of a girl child to live up and be something in life , so for us this partnership is really about pushing the work of empowering the women, getting the message out there that let’s come together and end this abuse which women are facing,” she added

Amnesty International’s second half-marathon in Bulawayo revealed that 39.4% of women in Zimbabwe have experienced physical violence, while 11.6% have experienced sexual violence.

Amnesty International strongly supports the victims and advocates for the release of prisoners imprisoned for seeking human rights.