This is the 21st century. We have come a long way. Yet, it feels as though people in Africa are still standing at the same spot. In this era of HIV/AIDS, Africans face the huge challenge of confronting their deeply held beliefs and values.
Child sexual abuse is not a new phenomenon in Africa lately a case has come up from Harare where 59-year old man has just convicted of raping his 12-year old granddaughter. He is justifying his actions by saying ‘this girl is not exactly my own direct child but is my granddaughter’s child’.
In a similar case, a 36-year-old man has been accused of being intimate with a minor girl. Here, the man says that he had performed the ‘deed’ to cure himself from AIDS- a virgin myth perpetuating since ages- as he was instructed by a witch doctor.
Studies revealed that 70% of child rape victims in Zimbabwe are infected with a sexually transmitted disease of one form or another. It has been assumed that amid 3,000 people who succumb weekly to AIDS in the country, 30% are children who would have suffered sexual abuse. Nearly, 8,600 cases of child abuse were logged last year.
Witch doctor is the principal cause behind all these mounting ratio of child sexual abuse however, the traditional healers argue instead that the expanding influence of Western culture was the main culprit.
Traditional healers, bogus in most cases, recommend virgins as possible cure of HIV and AIDS resulting in rape of girls even by their own fathers. Girls aged 0-12 years have become victim to the myth.
The other myth is that breasts and girls’ genital organs can be used for lucky charms to attract customers in a shop. In most instances, orphaned young girls where the mother is deceased are the most vulnerable.
The myths are now so deep rooted among men that the home, school and community have become unsafe places for girls. Thousands of girls are being raped in remote parts of the country. Unless and until everyone comes aboard to raise level of awareness and break silence on the myth that virgins cure HIV and AIDS then the whole future generation of women will be swept away.
Bottom line
Every child must be given chance to learn and to go to school and every child’s welfare and well-being should be looked after in addition, children must be encouraged to bring forward their thoughts.
Only then, foundation of society could be laid where the girls would enjoy political, social and economic rights and walk in the fullness of their potential.
