Our Rights, Our Lives: Women’s Call to Action Toward Cairo+20[i]

As the world reviews progress on implementation of the Program of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, women in all our diversity, are mobilizing.  We aim to build political commitment, to overcome financial and legal obstacles, and to transform the weak health systems, adverse social and economic conditions, violence and discrimination that impede us from accessing the necessary health services and information to make informed decisions about our sexual and reproductive lives.  All over the world, millions of women are demanding justice.  Young women are speaking out, calling for meaningful participation in all areas of public life, for education and jobs, and fulfillment of human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights.

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda Recieves the Zimbabwe Women’s Human Rights Defenders Award, 2011

PRESS RELEASE:   Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association

Women’s Human  Rights Defenders Awards, 2011

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda - 2011 Awardee

(Harare. 30 July 2011) a question has been posed why the need to form an organization by female lawyers for the advancement  and protection of women’s rights.  This came about as an observation of the vast challenges women still face, and its belief that Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) has a duty to help them.

“Women have suffered under various economic and socio-political challenges alongside men. They’ve also had to cope with discriminatory laws and deeply entrenched gender inequality”. For this reason, ZWLA acknowledges and honours the women and men who are working at local, regional and global level to advocate for women’s rights as well as working tirelessly to defend women.

Today ZWLA conferred the third annual Women’s Human Rights Defenders Awards to human rights defenders who have been working at different levels of activism. The  winner of the award  is Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda and the runner up is Alec Muchadehama.