PSEA theatre performance for six more districts

By Kuda Pembere
Amidst growing interest, the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) plays are expected to be spread to six more districts in Zimbabwe.
On Monday, the theatre performance done in Harare had three scenes which involved sexual exploitation and abuse at the workplace, at home and at community gatherings.
Population Solutions for Health (PSH) Executive Director Noah Taruberekera said the initial play had garnered much traction in the civil society space and private sector.
“Following this performance, additional shows are planned in six more districts: Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, Bindura, Chinhoyi, and Lupane. However, this is a small part of what is needed.
“There is a significant demand for PSEA theater performance among both civil society and private sector.
“After last week’s performance, many organizations reached out to us requesting similar performances for their groups. We hope the Swiss Embassy can find ways to continue support this important initiative enabling it to expand beyond the planned districts,” he said.
The play was designed with the goal to raise awareness on what women can do should they encounter sexual harassment at workplaces.
Chief director for gender policy planning and programme management in the Ministry of Women Affairs Mrs Lillian Matsika-Takaendisa said dissemination of information was critical to reduce the prevalence of sexual exploitation and abuse in workplaces.
“I think it is important that we disseminate information in different forms so that it reaches different audiences and stimulates continuity of informal and formal discussions around matters that are often avoided in formal and general discussions.
“It is also disheartening to us as a ministry to see that sexual exploitation is also a privilege both in the private and public sector and as a ministry, we are working with different partners including PSH and different embassies and UN agencies to ensure that we create an abuse free environment where women and girls can participate effectively on equal basis with their male counterparts.
“And as a government we have also taken note of the increased numbers of sexual violence in private sector but also in the rural communities that we are working,” she said.
Commenting on the drama, Zimbabwe Gender Commission chief executive officer Virginia Muwanigwa said women or girls have normalized the abuse due to the socialization which happens in families, cultures and societies.
“But what is important in what we saw also in the dramas is that violence and harassment, where it is done, and whatever justification, is still harassment.
“And we need to be able, as a society, to understand that many women with a job have been socialized to even accept some of the violence, have been socialized, and we saw that in the last drama, where the other young woman was saying, but my uncle has been doing it to me,” she said.
Another Women affairs ministry official said companies should ensure reporting channels are accessible for aggrieved parties which also protect their anonymity.
“We are supposed to have reporting channels where we must report, you can report unanimously and the report must be in good faith and you must be able to give information that will allow investigations.
“So once you notice a case of harassment, you don’t have to investigate. We report and there should be a channel for reporting for all our institutions, our organisations and even when we work with beneficiaries we also have community reporting systems and mechanisms,” she said. “And then there are departments that actually do the investigations. So I think that is basically the solution that I can actually come up with for this one.”