A petition calling for police to end the curfew on Zimbabwean women suspected of being sex workers has been created by Avaaz.
Zimbabwean Olof Koschke, of Nyerai Films, said: “This issue is very important to many of us, and together we can do something about it! If you sign and then share with your friends and contacts, we’ll soon reach our goal of 1,000 signatures and build pressure to get the decision we want.
“Campaigns like this always start small, but they grow when people like us get involved — please take a second right now to help out by signing and passing it on.”
Part of the petition reads: “Zimbabwean women are outraged by the continuation and escalation of the arbitrary arrests and harassment of women in Zimbabwe on grounds of loitering, soliciting and prostitution, whilst going on with their daily business during the day or in the evening.
“These arrests infringe women’s human rights and have far reaching implications for the way in which Zimbabweans engage with women and treat women in all sectors and at all levels. Zimbabwean women live in fear of arrest, which compromises their access to education through night schools or to work in jobs that might place them in public spaces at night time.
“This petition is important in putting an end to these unlawful arrests of women that compromise their citizenship right to freedom of movement. Help put an end to the police curfew on women’s movement in Zimbabwe.”
You can sign the petition here http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/End_the_police_curfew_on_Zimbabwean_women/?
