Breaking GBV cycle begins with you

ACCORDING to World Health Organisation Global Status Report on Violence Prevention, one in three women or girls experiences physical, sexual or gender-based violence (GBV) in their lifetime. Regrettably, only 4% of these women or girls report the violation due to fear of stigma.

Even the thriving businesses, mining communities have not been spared from pre-existing social norms and gender inequalities. In these communities, child marriages and unwanted pregnancies have become prevalent.

In some areas, certain traditional leaders still encourage people to conform to traditional practices, rituals and attitudes such as, kugadza mapfihwa and kuripa ngozi. Sadly, and unbeknown to some, this perpetuates the discrimination of women and girls thereby exposing them to GBV.

In response to these challenges, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) with support from Christian Aid is implementing a programme in mining communities whose objective is to raise awareness on effective ways to increase access to justice for women who have experienced gender-based violence while sensitising communities on how they can contribute to the fight against this scourge. The organisation is also collaborating with other anti-GBV partners including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (Victim Friendly Unit) who have been coming through to raise awareness.

GBV knows no boundary and even women in mining have not been spared. They have been called names and victimised by machete-wielding gangs.

However, they are happy that Zela has managed to come up with this programme and they are willing to train others including men so that they are equally empowered.”

There is need to scale up prevention efforts that address unequal gender power relations as a root cause of gender-based violence. GBV is a significant barrier to the attainment of development outcomes.

Sustainable Development Goal five recognises that gender equality is the foundation for a “peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world” and that this includes a world free of gender-based violence.

Goal five explicitly calls for the elimination of “all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres.”

It is increasingly recognised that men must be part of the solution and that they must play a role in promoting and supporting gender equality. Zela