As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the international community in commemorating the 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence, the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic has joined in the call for an end to the unjust and brutal gender-based violence attacks on women and children, especially the women and children of Gaza being killed and made to suffer by Israel.

Speaking during a seminar on Gender Based Violence, whose theme was: Unite! Invest to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls, the Cultural Counsellor, Mr Hamid Bakhtiyar condemned in the strongest possible terms the barbaric massacre of defenseless women and children in Palestine by Israel.

He said the brazen attacks by Israel showed the ineptitude and its disregard for human life. Mr Bakhtiyar emphasized that the sanctity of human life should be preserved and that the human rights of all the Palestinian women and children should be respected.

The seminar was jointly organized by the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Zimbabwe and the Women’s University in Africa. It was held today (29 November 2023) at the Women’s University in Africa main campus in Harare.

The Head of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, an independent Commission established by the Government of Zimbabwe, Ms Virginia Muwanigwa expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people. She condemned the inhuman and wanton killing of innocent Palestinian women and children by the brutal and inhuman state of Israel.

She called on all affected people to report all cases of gender-based violence to the responsible authorities for corrective measures to be taken.

Dr Hellen Venganayi, the Director of the Gender Diversity Centre at Women’s University in Africa thanked the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Iran for partnering the Women’s University in Africa in jointly organizing the seminar.

She said although some religious practices were aiding gender-based violence, this pandemic was now taking many forms and dimensions and was now a social ill that needed the effort of everyone in order to get rid of it.