Like many young girls in Zimbabwe, Hope was the victim of a widely held
belief that if a man with HIV or AIDS rapes a virgin he will be cured
of his disease. This so-called virgin myth, perpetuated by Zimbabwe's
traditional healers, has led to the rape of hundreds of girls,
according to UNICEF. Some of those victims are too young to walk, much
less protect themselves.
The "virgin myth" is based both on a bizarre ethic (rape is ok if HIV is cured as a result) and a complete lack of understanding of HIV (sex spreads the disease, it does not cure it).
This myth is a part of the larger problem of cultural suppression of discussion of sexual abuse.
"I was raped when I was 6 years old," she recalled. Her attacker
was a local shopkeeper. Makoni said her mother would not allow her to
report the abuse."She said, 'Shh, we don't say that in public,' " Makoni remembered. "I had no shoulder to cry on."
Three years later, she witnessed her father murder her mother. In that
moment, Makoni said she realized the potentially deadly consequence of
a woman's silence."I told myself that no girl or woman will suffer the same again," she said.
Thankfully, Betty Makoni broke the silence and is helping others to do so to.
