The society that we live in is increasingly becoming intolerant towards women, even though we have so many workshops, newspaper articles and chats about gender, but the woman who is especially vilified in Zimbabwe is the prostitute.

I was recently on my way home on public transport when a woman asked directions to a bar. The passengers were helpfully gave her directions to the famous place.

But as soon as the woman got to her terminus and disembarked she was attacked left, right and centre. The whole kombi, an 18 seater, agreed that the woman was a prostitute.

I kept quiet and observed the woman bashing with an indifferent face. Yet inside I was seething, angry at a society so intolerant and judgemental.

I thought about the government stance on prostitutes, how it extends to every tier of society and the same thought kept popping up in my head, even prostitutes deserve rights, like any other Zimbabwean.

They are so many drivers of prostitution chief of which is poverty. In Zimbabwe poverty has reached astounding proportions.

What distresses me so much is that women are abused simply for standing in avenues, accused of soliciting, while the men who pay for their services are not touched.

I am not an activist but on a number of occasions I find myself leaping to defend the voiceless. I have nothing against prostitutes or gays and I pray our politicians start preaching tolerance, for if they do not we will so easily see the mob frenzied, launching into attacks on the minority victims in society, individuals spurred by our own politicians.