Southern Africa
Angola | Namibia | Botswana | South Africa | Lesotho | Swaziland | Mozambique | Malawi | Zimbabwe | Zambia
Southern Africa is dominated by inequality. The majority of people live in extreme poverty, and the region has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world, a statistic strongly connected to the vulnerability of women to violence and sexual exploitation.
Despite the recent power sharing agreement in Zimbabwe, there is no sign of an end to the country's long-standing culture of impunity, and human rights defenders remain at risk. Meanwhile, Botswana is considered a model of good governance, with a positive human rights record by regional standards, and South Africa is evolving into a stable, multi-party democracy.
People in Zimbabwe and Angola are at risk of large scale forced evictions. There are concerns about the use of force by police in Swaziland, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique. In South Africa, women are discriminated against in accessing adequate treatment for HIV/AIDS, the subject of a major Amnesty campaign in the region.
Read more about the countries in this region in our 2011 Annual Report
Zimbabwe: Women beaten and tortured
Jenni Williams, national coordinator of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), spoke to us about the struggle for human rights in Zimbabwe. Listen to the interview You can also:
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The majority of human rights activists in Zimbabwe are women. Since 2005, hundreds of women protesters have been arrested and detained for engaging in peaceful protests.
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Hidden from view: community carers and HIV in rural South AfricaThis exhibition celebrates the often hidden work of community-based carers in poor rural communities in South Africa. They provide vital and often unpaid |
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