One in three women a victim of GBV

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
ONE in three women and girls in Zimbabwe experiences Gender Based Violence (GBV) in their lifetime with a high number of cases going unreported.

The methods of reporting such violations against women and girls have also been affected by the long and slow manner in which cases are reported from family level. The United Nations and the European Union have come on board to address the matter in a bid to end violence against women via a Spotlight Initiative which is supposed to protect women and girls from sexual GBV.

UNFPA communications analyst Ms Bertha Shoko said the initiative was a global initiative present in eight countries in Africa including Zimbabwe and 22 countries globally.

“The focus of the initiative is to eliminate violence against women and girls with a focus on a number of interventions including eliminating harmful practises that perpetuate SGBV. It also seeks to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls,” she said.

The Zimbabwe programme is being implemented by UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNICEF, UN-WOMEN and International Labour Organisation. Ms Shoko said violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe was on the increase.

“The initiative in Zimbabwe is key as violence against women and girls is a big problem, we are looking at at least one in three women and girls who experience GBV in one form or another. It is quite a big issue in Zimbabwe and this informs whatever interventions that the Spotlight Initiative is looking at,” she said.

She said UNFPA has noted that all forms of violence affect women’s ability to realise their full potential, voice, choice and control over their lives.

“If a child experiences sexual abuse at a young age, their lives will never be the same. There are intrinsic linkages between GBV, HIV, Sexual Health Rights. When you look at access to SRHR services there are linkages with GBV, a woman can be denied access to visit a health facility to access services and this is a form of GBV. When a woman is pregnant, especially in rural set ups, she has to ask for the husband’s consent to go to the clinic.

“He makes the decision for her to go, so those are the linkages that exist between SRHR and GBV as the person responsible for making decisions for women’s health is not the woman but someone else,” said Ms Shoko.

The Spotlight Initiative Zimbabwe rationale is that SGBV is no longer seen as a private issue to be addressed at the level of the survivors and perpetrators only, but as a national public issue that has an impact of achieving inclusive and sustainable development. The media has, however, been encouraged to make SGBV a public issue as part of efforts to bring all stakeholders on board.

“So many cases go unreported, and swept under the carpet in families and the media must talk about these things and bring issues to light. There is a need to have a multi-sectoral, integrated approach where different key players come in, such as the police, Victim Friendly Unit, partners that provide referral pathways, SGBV prevention and also engaging men and boys,” said Ms Shoko.

The initiative also calls for the lobbying for national financial investments in eradicating GBV. The spotlight Initiative is being targeted in hotspots of GBV and previously left out communities in the country.

Some of the hotspots include Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces but the programme is being implemented also in Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South and Harare.— @NyembeziMu