This is a story of G, an 18 year-old woman who lived in Hopley with her parents. Hopley is one of Harare’s densely populated communities with residents coming from various parts of the country to seek better livelihoods close to the capital city. It is not easy to get basic needs and at the age of […]
After being serially raped by an older man while at university, C found ARC’s services: “I had quit school, stopped eating, and developed insomnia. At that time, I had to postpone classes because of depression. “I came to ARC and began psychotherapy to treat depression, anger management, sleepless nights, headaches, and eating disorders. The sessions […]
ARC works with the Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit, giving sensitisation training and partnering with the police to provide a medical affidavit that is used in court. G was a thirteen-year-old girl who was raped while trying to find her way home from town. I had trouble finding a way to get home. Whilst […]
Marital rape is a controversial topic in Zimbabwe due to the lack of a law that explicitly criminalises the offence. The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, however, clarifies that a relationship between the complainant and the accused is not a defence. A 23 year-old married woman discovered that her husband had a positive HIV […]
Sexual assault is a medical emergency, and, through the #72 campaign, ARC encourages early reporting of sexual assault to enable survivors to access free clinical services inclusive of PEP, Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP), STI prophylaxis, counselling and psychological services. The following story represents the experience of many girls in Zimbabwe, who fail to access these […]
ARC runs workshops with the police, social services, public prosecutors as well as medical personnel to broaden skills and awareness of issues surrounding the clinical management of rape survivors. In a marginalised community like Gokwe, stakeholders working together shows the community that the system can work effectively for victims of assault, both medically and legally. […]