‘Sextortion’ haunts women

WHILE Zimbabwe has taken great strides in advancing gender equality, women are becoming more vulnerable to sexual abuse in the absence of both political and economic muscle to restore the balance.

The situation has been exacerbated by the current economic environment and according to a 2019 report by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), women have been forced to offer sexual favours in exchange for jobs, medical care and even when seeking placements at schools for their children.

The study, which is a first in a series of researches under the title Gender and Corruption, seeks to bring to the fore the relationship between gender and corruption, as well as identifying social, cultural, economic and political factors that contribute to how women and men are affected by corruption and the different impacts.

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