The abuse of young girls and women in Swaziland should stop. Swazi Government should be held accountable for every young girl or women affected.
Women in Swaziland still face horrendous ill-treatment and inequality due to the fact that a patriarchal culture is still practiced and promoted by the King and Government. Sadly society still view women as subordinate to men. As a result gender based violence is common in Swaziland, women including young girls are raped beaten and constantly harassed on a daily basis.
Even though rape is illegal and punishable, acquittal rates prove to be high and surprisingly offenders are even given lighter jail sentences. With high rates of HIV / AIDS we cannot afford to ignore such behaviour.
As a patriotic Swazi Human rights activist and feminist, I call upon the Swazi government as well as King Mswati III to put an end to the abuse of young girls and women. The authorities cannot continue to turn a blind eye on the abuses and injustices faced by both women and young girls.
We also ask the international community to put pressure on King Mswati and the Swazi Government so as they stop these abuses and protect its citizens, they should adhere to the United Nations Agreement on Human rights.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/0...
Updates
October 21, 2016
The stories shared in the comments prove this is a crisis we cannot ignore. I am currently reaching out to international human rights observers to escalate our demands.
October 21, 2016
The momentum is undeniable. This level of support proves the world is no longer looking away from these injustices.
51 Comments
I am a Swazi and I know the brutalness Swazi women go through because it's a culture and we don't have a right of say or defend ourselves. Most people do not know about this as we are a very small country. We are left in a limbo of trying to regain ourselves without anyone fighting our corner. Change is needed today and now before we perish into darkness of the dictatorship.
I fully agree, the Swazi culture has always classed women as minors, this is demeaning and unacceptable! The girl child should just be as equal as the boy child, Cultural events like umhlanga Reed dance should be well organized with safety first for the security and welfare of the girls instead of ferrying them around in trucks like animals, the Swazi government should provide them with buses for transport. They should have equal opportunities in everything including top government position like the prime minister 's post.
I for one as a Swazi woman knows very well how hard it is not to have any right to your own country and the fact that the king and his people can just take any girl they want wether they like it or they don't
Child brides and "virgin testing" should be made illegal. Education, advocacy, genuine rule of the law to address this and other criminal behaviour. Zero tolerance to any injustice, inequity, abuse and crimes against women and girls. We are not commodities but human brings with rights that must be upheld. Let's stand together for this cause, men and women alike. Real action not empty rhetoric required.
I condemn the rape of Virgin girls in Swaziland and being given as gifts! King mswati needs to stop marrying Virgin girls and should play the main role of protecting the girls!!
Protect our girls & acknowledge them
Stop abusing women
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The abuse of young girls and women in Swaziland should stop. Swazi Government should be held accountable for every young girl or women affected.
Women in Swaziland still face horrendous ill-treatment and inequality due to the fact that a patriarchal culture is still practiced and promoted by the King and Government. Sadly society still view women as subordinate to men. As a result gender based violence is common in Swaziland, women including young girls are raped beaten and constantly harassed on a daily basis.
Even though rape is illegal and punishable, acquittal rates prove to be high and surprisingly offenders are even given lighter jail sentences. With high rates of HIV / AIDS we cannot afford to ignore such behaviour.
As a patriotic Swazi Human rights activist and feminist, I call upon the Swazi government as well as King Mswati III to put an end to the abuse of young girls and women. The authorities cannot continue to turn a blind eye on the abuses and injustices faced by both women and young girls.
We also ask the international community to put pressure on King Mswati and the Swazi Government so as they stop these abuses and protect its citizens, they should adhere to the United Nations Agreement on Human rights.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/0...
Updates
October 21, 2016
The stories shared in the comments prove this is a crisis we cannot ignore. I am currently reaching out to international human rights observers to escalate our demands.
October 21, 2016
The momentum is undeniable. This level of support proves the world is no longer looking away from these injustices.
51 Comments
There is no clear legislation that protects children at schools from teachers who abuse them. Teachers are clearly allowed to continued teaching in different schools if ever found to have sexually abused a child in that school.
I am a Swazi and I know the brutalness Swazi women go through because it's a culture and we don't have a right of say or defend ourselves. Most people do not know about this as we are a very small country. We are left in a limbo of trying to regain ourselves without anyone fighting our corner. Change is needed today and now before we perish into darkness of the dictatorship.
I fully agree, the Swazi culture has always classed women as minors, this is demeaning and unacceptable! The girl child should just be as equal as the boy child, Cultural events like umhlanga Reed dance should be well organized with safety first for the security and welfare of the girls instead of ferrying them around in trucks like animals, the Swazi government should provide them with buses for transport. They should have equal opportunities in everything including top government position like the prime minister 's post.
I for one as a Swazi woman knows very well how hard it is not to have any right to your own country and the fact that the king and his people can just take any girl they want wether they like it or they don't
Child brides and "virgin testing" should be made illegal. Education, advocacy, genuine rule of the law to address this and other criminal behaviour. Zero tolerance to any injustice, inequity, abuse and crimes against women and girls. We are not commodities but human brings with rights that must be upheld. Let's stand together for this cause, men and women alike. Real action not empty rhetoric required.
I condemn the rape of Virgin girls in Swaziland and being given as gifts! King mswati needs to stop marrying Virgin girls and should play the main role of protecting the girls!!
Protect our girls & acknowledge them
Stop abusing women
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There is no clear legislation that protects children at schools from teachers who abuse them. Teachers are clearly allowed to continued teaching in different schools if ever found to have sexually abused a child in that school.