Women’s rights continue to
be ‘a challenging issue’ in Swaziland, a report just published
by Afrobarometer states.
‘Violence and abuse are a
major development concern in eSwatini [the
new name for Swaziland], profoundly affecting women and children,’
the report states.
About one in three women
experienced some form of sexual violence as a child, and one in four
experienced other forms of physical violence as a child.
After surveying 1,200
adults in Swaziland, Afrobarometer reported people thought the Swazi Government
was doing well in promoting opportunities and equality for women but fewer than
one in three (29 percent) of people thought that these had actually improved
‘compared to a few years ago’.
The survey suggested,
‘Strong majorities of the Swazi population support equal rights for women when
it comes to land and work. About seven in 10 (69 percent) say women should have
the same right as men to own and inherit land, and almost two-thirds (64
percent) disagree with the idea that men should have more right than women to
jobs when employment is scarce.
‘However, when it comes to
gender roles in the home, seven in 10 respondents (71 percent) prefer that a
woman, rather than a man, take care of the household and children.’
Afrobarometer added, ‘An
overwhelming majority (95 percent) of citizens say a man is “never justified”
in beating his wife, but one in 20 respondents (5 percent) see wife-beating as
“sometimes” or “always” justified.’
Afrobarometer is a
pan-African, non-partisan research network that conducts public attitude
surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions, and related issues in
African countries.
In March 2018 it was
announced the European
Union was funding a three-year project in Swaziland to advocate for and support women’s rights in
the kingdom.
Women remain oppressed in Swaziland and a main reason
for this is King Mswati III who rules as an absolute monarch, according to
report on women in the kingdom published in 2016.
ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa) reported that despite
claims that Swaziland was a modern country, ‘the reality is, despite pledges
and commitments, women continue to suffer discrimination, are treated as
inferior to men, and are denied rights.’
ACTSA added, ‘The King has demonstrated he is
unwilling to change the status quo and promotes multiple aspects of the
patriarchal society.’
In a briefing paper called Women’s
Rights in Swaziland ACTSA said, ‘Swaziland has a deeply
patriarchal society, where polygamy and violence against women are normalised,
deeply unequal cultural and religious norms, and a male monarch who is
unwilling to make any change. All this contributes towards the daily
discrimination faced by women.’
Among discriminations against women highlighted by
ACTSA were the high levels of girls dropping out of school. ACTSA reported,
‘Cultural gender norms dictate that women and girls provide the bulk of
household-related work, including physical and emotional care. As a result,
girls are under pressure to drop out from school, especially where there are
few adults available to care for children and the elderly, for example, in
child-headed households.’
ACTSA also highlighted that women lacked the legal
rights to administer their own assets. It reported, ‘Most married women are
denied equal status as legal adults: they cannot buy or sell property or land,
sign contracts or conduct legal proceedings without the consent of their
husbands. Many widows, denied the right to own land, are forced from their
homes.’
Women also have few chances to find jobs. Swaziland
was ranked 150th out of 188 countries in the world in the Gender
Inequality Index, ACTSA reported. ‘Men control household resources and thus
women remain dependent. This often results in women seeking alternative avenues
for income, including transactional and commercial sex,’ it said.
Some of the statistics on ‘life as a female in
Swaziland’ quoted in the report include:
One in three girls experience sexual violence before
they reach the age of 18 (Amnesty International, 2010);
31 percent of women are HIV-positive (UNAIDS, 2014);
70 percent of female sex workers are HIV-positive
(AVERT, 2015);
Early and forced marriage is ‘normal’ (Amnesty
International, 2010);
Marital rape is legal (Amnesty International, 2010);
Out of 65 delegates in the House of Assembly, only
four are women (6 percent) (Department of Gender and Family Affairs, 2014).
See also
Rise
in Gender-Based Violence
Sex
Bill Highlights Culture Issues
Women
Election Candidates in Swaziland Forced to Address Voters on Their Knees to
Show Respect For Men
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