Helplines in Zimbabwe.

Have you experienced sexual abuse, assault or harassment? Reach out to a sexual abuse hotline in Zimbabwe today for private, confidential support

Regardless of whether you're a woman, man or child in Zimbabwe, if someone has used coercion, power or force to make you engage in unwanted sexual activity, you were a victim of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is a form of sexual violence, which is any sexual activity without consent. Other forms of sexual violence are sexual assault, such as rape and unwanted touching, and sexual harassment, which is unwelcome sexual behavior.

If you are a victim of sexual violence, talking about your experience with people who understand can help you recover. Seek free help from 1 sexual abuse, assault and harassment hotlines in Zimbabwe if you face:

Examples of sexual violence:

• Someone making degrading or offensive comments about your body or sexuality, or using sexual terms and language in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable
• Being kissed or touched without your consent or being made, by coercion or force, to touch or kiss someone
• Being forced or coerced to have sex without protection from sexually transmitted diseases
• Being exposed to a violent, hurtful sexual act without your permission
• An organ or an object being put into your vagina (rape), or anus or mouth (sodomy), without your consent
• Being used sexually in a way that is humiliating
• Being filmed or photographed nude or in a sexually explicit way without your permission
• Catcalls and whistles that make you feel uncomfortable or objectified

Effects of sexual violence:

• Feeling dirty, damaged, and broken
• Changes (either loss or increase) in your appetite
• Not being able to fall or stay asleep
• Feeling ashamed for what occurred
• Feeling unsafe and scared that it would happen again
• Having nightmares about the sexual abuse you experienced
• Avoidance of anything that reminds you of the sexual abuse
• A decline in your physical and mental health

Everyone responds to experiencing sexual violence differently. It’s perfectly normal to go through very different emotions in a single day. Still, trying to cope with this on your own can be extremely difficult.

When you’re on your path to surviving sexual violence and its aftermath, it helps to know that there are people who can relate. People in Zimbabwe who went through similar experiences could make your recovery easier and quicker.

If you feel like you might need support with your experience of sexual violence, try reaching out to a hotline in Zimbabwe. It's free and confidential.