Zimbabwe Fact Sheet
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INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN 80 Maiden Lane, Suite 1505 New York, NY 10038 USA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Phone: +1 (212) 430.6054 • Fax: +1 (212) 430.6060 • Email: [email protected] www.iglhrc.org • fb.com/iglhrc • @iglhrc ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE 1 POPULATION SIZE EXPORT ABSORBED BY U.S. Zambezi 13.8 million US$14 million (0.5%) ZAMBIA Lake Bindura Kariba GDP IMPORTS Chinhoyi US$10.5 billion US$4.6 billion Harare Lupane Gweru Mutare GDP PER CAPITA IMPORTS FROM THE U.S. Bulawayo Masvingo US$600 US$60 million (1.3%) MOZAMBIQUE BOTSWANA EXPORTS U.S. ASSISTANCE Beitbridge 2 SOUTH AFRICA US$3.1 billion US$161.8 million 100 km Map Sources: ESRI, UNCS, The Times Atlas of the World. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Map created in Sep 2013. ZIMBABWE’S Criminal Law explicitly by political and religious leaders.3 Im- High-level politicians contribute to an prohibits consensual sex between adult mediately after the release of the report, environment that is difficult and often men with penalties including fines, pris- police entered and raided the group’s dangerous for anyone thought to be gay, on for up to one year, or both, upon con- office in Harare without a warrant.4 lesbian, or bisexual. President Robert viction. Articles 66 and 67 of the Criminal Mugabe has repeatedly called homosex- Law further contains several ambiguous The 2012 GALZ report noted an increase ual men and women “worse than pigs provisions criminalizing undefined “in- in public attacks against LGBT individuals and dogs.”5 In April 2014, he threatened decent assault” which can and has been in 2011 and 2012, which were believed to expel foreign diplomats who try to used to threaten and extort individuals to be linked to public debate about the promote gay rights in Zimbabwe.6 who do not conform to prevailing gen- possible inclusion of non-discrimination der norms, regardless of their sexual ori- on the basis of sexual orientation in the July 2014 entation, sex, or gender identity. country’s new constitution. In August 2012, Gays and Lesbians of FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Zimbabwe (GALZ) published a report documenting systemic human rights In Johannesburg, South Africa In New York, U.S.A. violations against individuals perceived Shehnilla Mohamed Marianne Møllmann to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgen- Africa Regional Coordinator Director of Programs der (LGBT), in many cases fuelled by ho- Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] mophobic and transphobic statements Phone: +27 11 486 9345 Phone: +1-212-430-6051 5 Stewart MacLean “’To hell with you’: Robert 1 Unless otherwise indicated, all trade and Mugabe in rambling anti-homosexual rant at David demography data from the Central Intelligence Cameron’s call for global gay rights,” Daily Mail, Agency (CIA) World Factbook found at https:// February 26, 2012 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- 3 GALZ LGBTI Rights Violations Report 2011, on file news/article-2106720/Robert-Mugabe-rambling- factbook/ (accessed on July 18, 2014), and with IGLHRC. anti-homosexual-rant-David-Camerons-global-gay- refers to 2013. 4 Human Rights Watch, “Zimbabwe: End Attacks rights.html (accessed on July 20, 2014). 2 Department of State, “Congressional Budget Justi- on LGBT People, Police Harass Activists with 6 “Mugabe threatens to expel gay promoting dip- fication, Department of State, Foreign Operations, Threats, Raids, Beatings, and Arrests,” August lomats,” New Zimbabwe, April 18, 2014, http:// and Related Programs, Fiscal Year 2015,” March 4, 27, 2012 http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/08/27/ www.newzimbabwe.com/news-15320-Mugabe 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organiza- zimbabwe-end-attacks-lgbt-people (accessed on +to+expel+gay+promoting+envoys/news.aspx tion/222898.pdf (accessed on July 18, 2014). July 20, 2014). (accessed on July 20, 2014)..