Zimbabwe’s Sex Toy Ban Draws International Attention and Legal Challenge

The Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (Walpe) executive director, Sitabile Dewa, has taken the Zimbabwean government to court over the ban on the importation of sex toys. In her High Court application, Dewa argues that the ban on the possession, importation, and use of sex toys is unconstitutional and violates individuals’ rights.

The case was filed after a female lecturer at Gwanda State University was jailed last year for six months for importing sex toys from Germany. Dewa claims that the ban infringes on personal liberties and that sex toys are therapeutic devices that promote physical and mental well-being.

She argues that the ban violates the right to freedom of expression as well as the freedom of thought, opinion, and expression regarding sexuality enshrined in section 61 of the Zimbabwean Constitution. The laws against sex toys are intrusive and an affront to the absolute right to dignity, she adds. Dewa further states that the moral outrage and hypocrisy with which the authorities and the courts approach sex devices are unjustified, given their cultural heritage.

Dewa suggested that the government could regulate sex toys by implementing strict licensing methods to restrict access to adults. She also notes that the absolute ban on sex toys leads people to resort to unsafe alternatives, which can be dangerous and expose minors to disease.

Dewa believes that the ban on sex toys discriminates against people who are alone and desire to express themselves sexually, and she calls for its repeal.