Challenging Repressive Laws: Zimbabwean Woman Stands Against Ban on Sex Toys

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Sitabile Dewa, a divorced woman in Zimbabwe, found her sexual satisfaction diminished after her marriage ended. She soon discovered that being divorced or a single mother often led to being perceived as less desirable by men in the socially conservative culture of Zimbabwe. This frustration led her to consider using sex toys for self-gratification, only to face another obstacle: the prohibition of such items in Zimbabwean law.

“Nobody should prevent me from self-exploration or deny me the pleasure of self-indulgence,” insisted Dewa, who is 35 years old.

According to Zimbabwe’s “censorship and entertainments control” law, importing or possessing sex toys is considered “indecent” or “obscene”, posing a risk to public morality. Consequently, owning these items can result in a woman facing incarceration.

Dewa criticizes the law as “antiquated,” and has chosen to challenge it in court for being suppressive and violating her personal freedom. Earlier in March, she filed a lawsuit against the Zimbabwean government, calling for the repeal of parts of this restrictive law. The court is currently reviewing her case.

Her candid talk about masturbation and female sexuality may leave many Zimbabweans feeling uneasy.

Yet, women’s rights advocates acknowledge the significance of her cause, considering it a broader confrontation against the country’s patriarchal norms. These norms often scrutinize and restrict women’s choices regarding numerous aspects of their lives, such as their choice of contraception, their decisions about marriage, and even their clothing.

Dewa, a women’s rights activist herself, draws on her personal experiences in her fight against the sex toy ban. The law’s enforcement was exemplified last year when two women were arrested for possessing sex toys.

One of the women, who ran an online business selling sex aids to women along with providing advice on their use, was sentenced to either six years in jail or 640 hours of community service after spending two weeks in detention.

According to Debra Mwase, a programs manager with Katswe Sistahood, a group advocating for women’s rights in Zimbabwe, the concept of women being sexually autonomous seems to upset the authorities the most. She suggests that sexually independent women pose a threat to the male-dominated spaces of Zimbabwe’s political, social, and cultural landscape.

Mwase emphasizes how sex is primarily viewed as a means for men’s enjoyment, whereas for women it is merely seen as a necessity for procreation. The concept of “sex without a man becomes a threat,” she said.

According to Dewa, the problematic laws would have been repealed long ago if men were the primary users of these products.

The country’s colonial history further complicates matters. While disentangling the impacts of colonialism on women’s rights in sub-Saharan Africa today, numerous studies indicate that African women expressed their sexuality more openly before the imposition of European laws, cultures, and religions.

Sylvia Ramale, a prominent Ugandan academic, notes in her book “African Sexualities” that pre-colonial African women were “relatively unrestrained” in expressing their sexuality. However, colonialism and the religions it introduced perpetuated the notion of impurity and sin associated with women’s bodies.

Mwase views it as ironic that Zimbabwe, which has been free from white minority rule for 43 years, still retains laws like the sex toy ban that originated during the colonial era.

“Dewa’s struggle for access to sex toys is an integral part of Zimbabwean women’s wider fight against oppression,” she said. Recent developments suggest a partial revival of a pre-colonial southern African tradition known as “Chinamwari,” where young women receive sexual education from older women in their communities.

These sessions provide advice on various aspects of sex and reproductive health, empowering young women. However, despite being advertised online, these meetings ensure secrecy due to prevailing attitudes towards sex and potential backlash from men uncomfortable with the idea of women being sexually proficient.

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More about Sex toys ban in Zimbabwe

• Women’s Rights in Zimbabwe
• Laws and Sexual Rights in Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwean Legal System
• Gender and Culture in Zimbabwe
• Sexual Expression in Pre-colonial Africa