Female Student Network (FSN) strongly condemns the brutality of the police towards female students

Friday 13.november 22 female students were beaten and arrested by police. 

They were demonstrating against the violations of their academic freedom, and voicing out their concerns about the high tuition and accommodation fees at their respective institutions. The scenario took place in central business district in Harare were students were marching from Rezende Street towards the Parliament to present their petition. 
22 female students were arrested; six was released the same day, while 16 remained in arrest overnight and released on Saturday afternoon. 

As an organisation that advocates for the active representation and participation of female students in tertiary institutional politics, FSN is greatly disturbed by these arrests. 

The Network has previously been receiving reports from female students who withdrew from contesting in student representative council (SRC) elections because of risk and fear of being beaten up or arrested. 
FSN strongly believes these arrests and the violence used are some of the root causes and hindrances to female students full participation in student politics and generally in the democratic process.

Therefore FSN urges the government to respect human rights and allow students to demonstrate for their academic freedoms as this is not attached to political affairs, but student grievances towards their academic education.

FSN will always fight for academic freedom for female students in solidarity with other student movements. This will increase their participation in student leadership without fear of being arrested.