“I saw a lot of girls reflected in me,” Betty Makoni of Zimbabwe told the Record during a visit to Canada last year. “Exactly what they worried about was what once worried me. It was hard to explain why I wanted to do this, but in my heart, I felt that if I accomplished this mission, then I will have lived life to the full.”
Makoni was abused as a child and although she often finds it difficult to talk about it, she could not bear to hear of stories like her own. She did not want to hear of one more girl being raped by a relative or teacher, did not want to hear of children being married off to aging men, and did not want to hear of female children being denied an education while their brothers were allowed to go to school.
Still, in the powerfully patriarchal culture in which she lives, she had to convince her father and husband that something needed to be done about abused children. “Dominican sisters from Germany enabled me to go to school, and I'm greatly inspired by those who influenced me. If it had not been for the sisters, I could have been one of the lost women,” she said. “When you see a girl who is happy, living a life you didn't, it's good for you. It heals the pain.”
Betty Makoni is director and founder of the Girl Child Network, an organization empowering girls in all spheres of life through education, support and advocacy. She started the network after a discussion with 10 schoolgirls, who admitted the struggles they face each day, living in the male-dominated society of Zimbabwe.
“Girls have to learn that it's their right to have protection from abuse,” she said. “And now 20,000 girls are making a breakthrough. There's a new breed of women.” She started the network in 1998, when the first girls' club — a staple to the organization's mission — began at the school where she used to teach. Neighbouring schools soon joined in and today there are 350 clubs.
In a society where women's voices are often stifled, the clubs offer a safe, respectful place where girls can gather and tell their stories of abuse, rape and marginalization. Girls learn to create and protect their personal space, heal from past trauma, learn the importance of an education, build their self esteem and set goals. Leaders of the clubs are elected by the members, teaching the girls about the electoral process. Girls often branch off and start their own clubs, and are increasingly helping to empower their mothers, who are often set in traditional ways.
Makoni said it is imperative to teach girls about equality and empowerment when they are young; before they internalize ideas such as marriage equals success, and being outspoken is a turn-off for men. She said the older generations are often shocked by this new behaviour, where to them, staying after school to talk about girls' rights is akin to a revolution.
The GCN also acts as an advocate for girls' issues, fosters community development, and provides basic supplies, such as school fees, clothing, food and medical expenses, to girls in poverty. “You can't deal with rights and tell a girl to be empowered when she is starving,” said Makoni. “It's holistic empowerment.”
To help spread the word, the Prize Betty Makoni was created to award organizations for innovation in anti-abuse initiatives. Created in 2003, the award is given out each year on Nov. 19, the World Day of Prevention for Child Abuse. Last year, organizations from the United States, Colombia, Pakistan and Malawi were awarded for their efforts.
The network recently released a CD entitled Wake Up Girls, with songs sung by various girls' clubs in English and native languages about rape and abuse and telling girls to take charge and speak out. “Telling their stories should make it possible that it does not happen again,” said Makoni. “We must create a culture of prevention — country to country, woman to woman, girl to girl. That's why I talk; so it doesn't have to happen again.” For more information: gcn.org.zw.
