Picture my Life 2
Women's audiovisual narratives contribute to eradicating Violence against Women and Girls in Zimbabwe
The Picture My Life Project (PML) created and used audio-visual content to upscale the '#MeToo' Campaign in Zimbabwe, as well as also to campaign against other forms of injustices that women are confronted with.
ICAPA Trust began the project in 2019 to raise awareness on GBV issues and to encourage conversations around these issues. The project was continued in 2020 when the harmful effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender relations made such interventions all the more urgent. Reports of violence, by any perpetrator regardless of gender, increased during the initial lockdown period, and this trend has continued. Due to the project's significance and impact, funding was made available by OSISA.
Survivors stories were researched and video-documented during the first phase of PML. This was followed by Community Screenings and discussions in the Harare high density and peri-urban areas of Highfield, Mbare, Hopely, Dzivarasekwa, Mabelreign and also in Chitungwiza. Spots were also distributed digitally and additional discussions were conducted on virtual platforms. These discussions gave insights into some of the root causes of GBV in the communities engaged, namely lack of economic independence, general poverty and the attitude of the authorities namely police and nurses. In all cases a questionnaire which monitored the impact of the project were distributed.
Of concern was that eight of the nine communities involved in the project complained about police attitude towards victims and their cases. Respondents reported that the police instructed victims to bring their perpetrators to the police station, thus exposing the victim to the perpetrator again. Corruption, where bribes were received from perpetrators leading to cases being dismissed, were cited as a major deterrent to reporting.
Find more spots and the questionnaire:
The pilot spots can be found here
