STIFFEN PUNISHMENT FOR GBV CRIMINALS-ZCTU
GOVERNMENT must immediately tighten punishment against perpetrators of Gende- Based Violence (GBV) if Zambia is to eradicate the vice, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) general secretary Cosmas Mukuka has demanded.
And Mr Mukuka has proposed that Government must increase budgetary alloca tion towards monitoring and eradicating strategies and ensure that GBV measures were having an impact on eliminating the vice.
Speaking at the Solidarity House during the launch of the campaign against workplace Gender-Based Violence, Mr Mukuka said failure to do so would mean Government was condoning the vice and worsening the experience of GBV against women and children in Zam bia.
“It is time our government, our members, our communities and the media played a meaningful role in the eradication of the scourge of violence against women and children in Zambia,” Mr Mukuka said.
Meanwhile, he said ZCTU was saddened by the high levels of sexual harassment in the workplace, the fear of losing a job by the victims.
“We call on all victims of sexual harassment to speak out in line with our national policy on sexual harassment. We call upon all unions organised under the banner of ZCTU to set up structures that will project workers and union members from sexual harassment in the workplace and in the union,” he said.
And International Labour Organisation (ILO) gender coordinator Elizabeth Simonda said the campaign launched by ZCTU was too big to be ignored by ILO.
Ms Simonda pledged to give ZCTU full support as they implemented their campaign to fight GBV.
“ILO is behind this campaign and we shall support you,” Ms Simonda said.
Meanwhile, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung has observed that data and information was not enough and uncoordinated making it difficult to fight the vice.