Soliciting

A woman was arrested for soliciting when walking down the street to meet her boyfriend waiting for her in a car outside the club. ”You cannot walk around on the streets dressed like that…” they said and stopped her from walking any further. They insisted that she had to come with them to the police station for further interrogation. A similar incident happened to a colleague of mine a few weeks ago. She had been shopping groceries on her way back home after work. Dressed in long sleeves and a long shirt she walked with her groceries in a plastic bag in her hand. Two policemen stopped in a car. ”Why are you walking here alone in the dark?...you must be soliciting!” She denied and explained that she was walking towards the bus stop. The policemen were not convinced. The matter had to be investigated. My colleague refused to accomany them to the police station without first making a phone call. They reluctanty agreed to let her go with a warning. In Zimbabwe policemen are not allowed to arrest women after dark. It appears that the rule remains a theory rather than practice. Few women are aware of their rights leaving them vulnerable to abuse and harassment.