HARARE – Women’s rights activist Rita Mbatha, famed for winning a 16-year David and Goliath legal case against the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), has been re-elected as vice president of the International Alliance of Women (IAW).
Mbatha, who is also the director of Women’s Comfort Corner Foundation Trust, becomes the first Zimbabwean to hold the position.
IAW is a 116-year-old international NGO comprising 41 organisations involved in the promotion of women’s rights, equality and empowerment.
Mbatha is ecstatic about her re-election, saying she sees endless possibilities to assist victimised women to access justice.
“I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. As a survivor of sexual violence, I encourage everyone to speak out when they are sexually abused,” Mbatha said.
“I pursued justice and in the end I won. Abusers take advantage of the secrecy, shame and stigma. Silence always emboldens the perpetrators to continue the abuse. Never overlook abuse. Break the stigma.”
In 2003, Mbatha was unfairly dismissed at CZI in the aftermath of raising sexual harassment charges against her former boss Farai Zizhou.
She took the matter to the arbitrator and won, but CZI appealed and their appeal was upheld by the Labour Court.
Mbatha, who was self-acting with no legal representation, went all the way up to the Supreme Court. It was only in November 2019 that the Supreme Court ruled in her favour, awarding her compensation of US$41,161.30.
Born in Bulawayo, Mbatha attended Speciss College and attained an executive secretarial diploma.
She studied for a diploma in accounting with Cambridge Tutorial College and has worked in various organisations as personal assistant to senior executives.
Mbatha had to forego her ambitions of being a lawyer and assist her father who was working as a tailor to pay tuition fees for her siblings.
She says she draws her inspiration from her parents who steadfastly supported her when she was unceremoniously dismissed from work for refusing to yield to her boss’ sexual demands.
The human rights warrior said as IAW vice president she hopes to deepen the worldwide campaign against sexual violence against women.
“I’m confident that I will collaborate effectively with lawmakers from around the world and other stakeholders, particularly journalists who disseminate news to make a difference, especially on the issue of sexual abuse,” Mbatha told ZimLive.
“My passion is also to assist self-represented litigants who in most cases are denied justice in the courts.”
Mbatha has worked in the field of development and gender equality for over 16 years and through various organisations she says she has assisted 108 women in maintenance issues, 52 cases of domestic violence and 70 rape victims.
