Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
BOYS and men have a critical role to play in raising awareness against abuse of girls and young women as well as fighting gender-based violence (GBV).
Seeing the important role that men and boys can play, the National Aids Council (Nac) is rolling out Start Awareness Support Action (SASA) and Brother2Brother (B2B) initiatives in Matabeleland North with the aim of encouraging behaviour change.
The aim is to enhance respect for the girl child and young women by society, ensure girls and boys do not rush to indulge in sexual activity and make them stay in school, reduce teenage pregnancies and early marriages as well as fight GBV.
Nac Matabeleland North provincial coordinator Mr Dingani Ncube said the programme is starting in Tsholotsho because of the prevalence of teenage pregnancies, school drop-outs and gender-based violence as a result of proximity to the border among other reasons.
It will spread to Umguza, Bubi and Lupane and other districts to capacitate girls, young women and boys with safe reproductive health information.
“This is happening in selected districts where issues of abuse of adolescent girls and women are rampant. There are districts where we have a number of girls getting abused and contracting sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and Aids, get pregnant or are married early.
“It’s all about raising awareness for girls, young women and boys so they can learn life skills, have change of behaviour and make meaningful decisions to avoid falling prey as they should be able to stand up and report every form of abuse,” said Mr Ncube.
Empowerment of victims will enable programmers and support institutions to offer interventions such as post-exposure prophylaxis and arrest perpetrators on time.
Mr Ncube could not readily give statistics for various forms of abuse and GBV.
He said Lupane and Tsholotsho have similar characteristics and level of abuse while Bubi and Mr Ncube said various activities are being used to make the awareness popular.
“This is quite an exciting programme that complements our drive to keep the girl in school and reduce teenage pregnancies and GBV and activate service providers that offer support services. Boys are being made aware through B2B so that they are in a position to protect girls and young women. We are conducting sporting activities as part of the programme to keep them busy so as to enhance behaviour change through life skills coaching,” he said.
Violence against women is both a cause and consequence of HIV infection and the root cause is the imbalance of power in relationships between women and men, girls and boys, according to Nac.
Nac has mobilised 30 bicycles for use by SASA and B2B community representatives to reach all targeted areas in Tsholotsho. The SASA and B2B initiatives seek to use the peer-to- peer approach to promote positive male norms and encourage the uptake of health services such as condom and contraceptive use, voluntary male circumcision and counselling among others.
The initiatives also target some harmful cultural practices such as patriarchy that render women vulnerable.
Both men and women should be mentors in behaviour change. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu