The Katswe Sistahood, a Zimbabwean organisation founded in 2007, began as a loose network of dynamic young women concerned about the lack of access to sexual and reproductive health rights and services within their community. With support from AWDF, Katswe has worked to promote young women’s knowledge of sexual health and rights issues and develop a culture of encouraging self-protection against sexual gender based violence (SGBV) and HIV/AIDS infection.

Through its work with young women over the years, Katswe identified SGBV as a critical issue around which young women could mobilize and began several projects to amplify the voices of women to raise awareness about the issue.

One example was the Pachoto study circles conducted in 10 communities within Harare in 2013. Through these study circles, women shared their uncensored experiences and stories on SGBV, facilitating a dialogue around SGBV and other issues related to women’s bodies, sexual and reproductive health and rights and general well-being. These stories were compiled into a publication dubbed the ‘V-Warriors journal.”

The journal served as a creative tool supporting the promotion and preservation of women’s sexualities, rights and over all livelihoods.

Read a copy of the journal here:

Katswe Pachoto Journal 2013