Govt to capacitate traditional leaders to end child marriages

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

GOVERNMENT in partnership with other stakeholders has begun a process to develop an enabling legal, policy and institutional framework that will facilitate a structured and harmonised way for traditional leaders to respond, lead, govern, promote gender equality, end child marriages and discuss on harmful social and cultural practices that lead to gender based violence.

This was said by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Permanent Secretary Mr Zvinechimwe Churu at the ongoing traditional leader’s chiefs conference on ending violence against women and girls and other harmful practices in Matabeleland South.

The three-day conference being held at a Bulawayo hotel will see participants sharing experiences, good practices, lessons learned and challenges on initiatives to end GBV and Harmful practises and Violence against Girls and Women in Matabeleland Provinces.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr Churu said traditional leaders remained key in the fight against gender based violence.

“As we deliberate on the policy framework let us bear in mind that we appreciate that traditional leaders have always undertaken interventions aimed at ensuring gender equality and ending harmful practices against women within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

“Enabled by the Customary Law and Local Courts Act, Traditional Leaders adjudicate various cases relating to Gender Based Violence, forced and child marriages, incestuous relationships among other abhorrent cultural practices such as female genital mutilation. To ensure deterrent measures. Traditional Leaders enforce punitive fines and punishments,” said Mr Churu

While commending UN Women’s work under the UN-EU Spotlight Initiative flagship programme to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, Mr Churu reaffirmed government’s commitment towards eradicating gender based violence.

“The Government of Zimbabwe embraces the focus on Ending Violence against Women and Girls and harmful practices such as forced early marriages, and the protection of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. It is from this backdrop that our coordination efforts will seek to buttress interventions by our revered Traditional Leaders on strengthening their oversight duties,” said Mr Churu

The main objective and overarching focus of the conference is to discuss and draft a roadmap for traditional leaders, on ending Gender Based Violence, child marriages and promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights for women and girls. It is also providing an opportunity for traditional leaders to deliberate and agree on a structure to be established that will provide the platform to standardize approaches across the provinces and ensure streamlined processes for dealing with Gender Based Violence and Violence against Women and Girls, not forgetting boys and men are also being abused.

The conference is being held in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, United Nations Women organisation and other civil society partners.

@nyeve14