Female Teachers Forced To Strip Naked at Nkayi High School

Audrey Galawu

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has condemned the dehumanising strip search of 16 Female Teachers at Nkayi High School last week Wednesday.

This comes as teachers at the school were forced to strip naked and be inspected by a school cleaner, to check which of them was on periods.

The senior member is said to have flown off the handle after finding out that someone had messed up a toilet, with what was said to be menstrual blood.

The teachers were reportedly have summoned female teachers to the staffroom and demanded a confession from “the culprit.”

A teacher at the school who requested anonymity gave an account of the incident.

“We were called to the staff room towards break time. The senior staffer was furious and insulted us with unprintable words accusing us of causing the mess in the female toilet. They did not take any reasoning from us and ordered us to strip naked so that an ancillary staff member who does cleaning at the school could check who was on her period.

“We tried to resist, but they would not take a no for an answer. They said only the culprit would refuse a physical inspection. All the female teachers who were at the school were forced to endure the dehumanising act. We lined up after removing all the clothes from the lower half of our bodies and spread our legs so that the grounds lady could inspect us.

“We removed our panties in the presence of the school cleaner. Some of the teachers are married people who are close to retirement but were violated by someone who is in their 40s in terms of age. We were never given the results which confirms that this act (messing up the toilet) was probably done by a learner.

“Our dignity was taken because if you are married you only take off your panties for your partner, not to be inspected under those circumstances. We have been forced to use the learners’ toilets because imagine being recorded the time you enter the toilet and when you come out”.

Artuz criticised the act which has been described as, “A gross violation of their human dignity and fundamental rights”.

“This despicable act perpetrated by a senior staff member at the school is a stark reminder of the patriarchal, misogynistic attitudes that continue to plague our education system.

“Women teachers are not second-class citizens to be degraded and humiliated on a whim. They deserve to feel safe, respected, and empowered in their workplaces,” the Union said.

ARTUZ has demanded immediate action be taken against the individual responsible for this travesty.

“The school administration's silence on the matter, as noted by B-Metro, is deafening and unacceptable. This incident has destroyed morale and left the teachers feeling violated in their own workplace.

“ARTUZ will not stand idly by while our female educators are treated like objects, rather than the skilled professionals they are. We call on the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to investigate this matter swiftly and ensure such egregious abuses never occur again. The dignity and rights of all teachers, regardless of gender, must be upheld without exception.

“This is a dark day for the teaching profession in Zimbabwe. ARTUZ will continue to be a vocal champion for teachers' rights and to fight any and all forms of gender-based discrimination in our schools. Our members deserve to work in an environment of mutual respect, free from the threat of humiliation and abuse.”

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