‘Love Shouldn’t hurt, Uthando Alubuhlungu, Rudo Harurove’

With the sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence drawing close, the ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’ campaign has been officially launched marking the beginning of an intense drive to reduce violence among intimate partners in Zimbabwe.

Population Solutions for Health, formerly PSI Zimbabwe, with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Zimbabwe, crafted the innovative campaign using a human centred design that will make it stand out above the usual Stop GBV slogans.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign on Wednesday, Population Solutions for Health social marketing director Kumbirai Chatora said many anti-GBV campaigns had always focused on survivors, but ‘Love Shouldn’t hurt, Rudo Harurove, Uthando Alubuhlungu’ would focus on the perpetrators to prevent future violence.

Love Shouldn't Hurt campaign brings the negative effects of GBV to life in a way that doesn't vilify the perpetrator. It reframes their actions and encourages them to ‘Raise their Hands to Love not to Beat’. It reminds men of the promises they made to love early on in their relationship. It's a simple idea that shows what love is and what it isn't.

“Using human centred design approaches, we immersed ourselves in the lives of men who perpetrate violence to understand their journey towards violence, and more sharply the triggers of violence in the home. Several key insights emerged but one insight that stood out most powerfully across all perpetrators was that they viewed violence and physical punishment as a means to show love and to discipline."

The campaign has come up with a practical call to action to help men when they are in the heat of the moment to- pause, take a deep breath, and walk away.

PSH is currently working with five celebrities; Winky D, Seh Calaz, Holy Ten, Roki and Ammara to create a movement of men against GBV and promote the campaign to their fans on their social media sites. The artists have also developed jingles and videos which are playing on radio and other media outlets.

PSH also has two community interventions; the Business Network that encourages men in communities to come together to learn about small business since idleness, drug abuse and lack of cash can trigger of violence, and the Neighbourhood Watch which encourages communities to come together to create committees that can alert other community members of violence.

PSH executive director Dr Noah Taruberekera said the campaign was groundbreaking in engaging men in a non-stigmatizing manner.

“We hope that through this campaign, men will start to ask themselves how they can contribute in their own spaces to prevent violence in the home. We hope that men will look back at the promises that they made when they first met their partners and feel their pain. Love Shouldn't Hurt. Rudo Harurove. Uthando Alubuhlungu,” he said.

The Swedish Ambassador, represented by the Deputy Head of Mission Professor Berthollet Kaboru said the Embassy was committed to supporting programs that advance gender equality to reduce gender based violence. “It is essential now more than ever to implement campaigns to reduce incidence of intimate partner violence which has been increasing since the COVID-19 lockdown measures where couples must spend more time indoors and economic pressures on the household have increased,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Hon. J. Mhlanga said Government would support the ‘Love Shouldn't Hurt movement’ as part of the steps to attaining a GBV-free Zimbabwe.

“A community without GBV is a thriving community; people do not lose productive time because they are suffering from the effects of abuse, people are happy and focused on making their community a happy place, unintended pregnancy and contracting of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases following sexual violence is prevented, and both men and women contribute to the development of the community,” she said.

She said this could only be achieved if Zimbabweans collectively tackle the notion that women are lesser human beings than men and that men could discipline women using physical force.