WOZA
Encyclopedia
Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA is a civic movement in Zimbabwe
which was formed in 2003 by Jenni Williams
to:
Lobby and advocate on those issues affecting women and their families. WOZA is supported by Amnesty International
.
word meaning ‘Come forward’.
On November 23, 2009, prominent WOZA member Magodonga Mahlangu
and founder Jenni Williams
received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award
. The award was presented by US president Barack Obama
with the words: "By her example, Magodonga has shown the women of WOZA and the people of Zimbabwe that they can undermine their oppressors' power with their own power -- that they can sap a dictator's strength with their own. Her courage has inspired others to summon theirs." In her remarks accepting the award, Magodonga Mahlangu quoted Robert F. Kennedy
, saying, "The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future."
protest. In the weeks that followed, several WOZA members were arrested and reportedly tortured in Bulawayo
. WOZA states that police officers have contacted WOZA's lawyer to demand that Williams and Mahlangu report to the police station for unstated reasons.; the two women are currently in hiding.
Amnesty International
has expressed concern for the safety of group members and named WOZA a 2011 "priority case."
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
which was formed in 2003 by Jenni Williams
Jenni Williams
Jenni Williams is a Zimbabwean human rights activist and founder of WOZA.-Early life:Jenni was born in Zimbabwe. She is of mixed race - her mechanic father, who was absent for most of her upbringing, was black. Her mother Margaret is the daughter of an Irish man who emigrated to what was then...
to:
- Provide women, from all walks of life, with a united voice to speak out on issues affecting their day-to-day lives.
- Empower female leadership that will lead community involvement in pressing for solutions to the current crisis.
- Encourage women to stand up for their rights and freedoms.
Lobby and advocate on those issues affecting women and their families. WOZA is supported by Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
Etymology
WOZA, the acronym of Women of Zimbabwe Arise, is a NdebeleNorthern Ndebele language
The Northern Ndebele language, isiNdebele, or Ndebele is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the Ndebele or Matabele people of Zimbabwe. It is commonly known as Sindebele....
word meaning ‘Come forward’.
Awards
In 2008, WOZA was awarded the Amnesty International Menschenrechtspreis (human rights award) of 2008 by the German chapter of Amnesty International.On November 23, 2009, prominent WOZA member Magodonga Mahlangu
Magodonga Mahlangu
Magodonga Mahlangu is a women's rights campaigner from Zimbabwe who in 2009 was awarded the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award by U.S. President Barack Obama.Mahlangu is a leader of Women of Zimbabwe Arise , founded by Jenni Williams...
and founder Jenni Williams
Jenni Williams
Jenni Williams is a Zimbabwean human rights activist and founder of WOZA.-Early life:Jenni was born in Zimbabwe. She is of mixed race - her mechanic father, who was absent for most of her upbringing, was black. Her mother Margaret is the daughter of an Irish man who emigrated to what was then...
received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was created by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1984 to honour individuals around the world who show courage and have made a significant contribution to human rights in their country....
. The award was presented by US president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
with the words: "By her example, Magodonga has shown the women of WOZA and the people of Zimbabwe that they can undermine their oppressors' power with their own power -- that they can sap a dictator's strength with their own. Her courage has inspired others to summon theirs." In her remarks accepting the award, Magodonga Mahlangu quoted Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
, saying, "The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future."
Continued police crackdown
Jenni Williams, Magodonga Mahlangu and other members of WOZA were arrested multiple times in the years from 2008 to 2011. On 12 February 2011, over a thousand men and women joined a WOZA Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
protest. In the weeks that followed, several WOZA members were arrested and reportedly tortured in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
. WOZA states that police officers have contacted WOZA's lawyer to demand that Williams and Mahlangu report to the police station for unstated reasons.; the two women are currently in hiding.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has expressed concern for the safety of group members and named WOZA a 2011 "priority case."
MOZA
In August 2006, at the WOZA National Assembly, it was resolved to form Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MOZA). Men, mostly youthful, have been ‘coming forward’ to join this non-violent struggle for a better Zimbabwe.External links
- Official Website
- Interview with Jenni Williams November 2008
- The Power of Love Conquers the Love of Power: Women of Zimbabwe Challenge Mugabe's Regime, May 2007 issue of Peacework Magazine
- Zimbabwean Dissidents Unite in Prayer for Peace, May 2007 issue of Peacework Magazine
- Fighting Repression with Love: The Traumatic Effects on Women who Speak Out, May 2008 issue of Peacework Magazine
- Zimbabwe: 100 WOZA And MOZA Arrested in Bulawayo, from AllAfrica.com, via Southwest Radio Africa, February 14, 2009