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Ruth Butaumocho Gender Form
Today the curtain comes down on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, with a number of events having taken place in Zimbabwe and in the region. Ironically, during the period a lot of activities — albeit negative — took place in the public domain in the country.
More than 100 cases of physical gender-based violence were perpetrated against women across social divide during the same period.
Domestic violence reared its ugly head at a time when the country was supposed to take stock of its achievements, while patching up the grey areas which needed attention to curb the problem of GBV.
What came out clearly during this period, however, was that many people are indeed aware of gender based violence and its consequences.
The majority of our populace, including men, are now actively involved in curbing gender based violence by educating their peers, friends and colleagues on the dangers of violating women and children.
However, there are still sections of society who, probably due to socialisation, still think it’s okay to violate a man or a woman regardless of the circumstances.
During the same period, it also came out clearly that many believe gender based violence only involves physical altercation and to some extent verbal or emotional abuse.
As I listened to debates and deliberations from both men and women, I could not help but notice that the issue of economic abuse of women as gender based violence was not given any attention at all.
But when you look at it, economic gender based violence is quite prevalent in our homes, in work places and the bigger picture is actually at the national level, which sadly has not been given due attention.
Like any other country in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe continues to battle with problems of economic gender violence, where the majority of women today are economically disenfranchised as a result of policies that are not favourable to women.
But for all what it is, economic abuse manifests itself in various forms, and is a cause of domestic violence in many homes when a woman is beaten up for daring to ask the man why he is not providing for the family. Economic abuse has also resulted in several men being bashed by their wives or being taken to court for failing to maintain their families.
The paradox of economic gender based violence is that it is not only perpetrated at an individual level, but also at a national level, where the large populace of women are living below the poverty datum line because they are not employed or are engaged in vending to sustain themselves and their families.
In addition, women are faced with a myriad challenges that include discrimination, unequal resource allocation, income distribution opportunities and just unfair economic practices at the national level.
It is saddening to note that economic violence being experienced includes limited access to funds and credit; control over access to health care, employment, education, exclusion from financial decision making, discriminatory traditional laws on inheritance, property rights and use of communal land.
At work place women receive unequal remuneration for equal work with men, are often overworked and underpaid, and do a lot of unpaid work outside the contractual agreement.
At home, some women are barred from working by partners while other men totally abandon family maintenance to the women.
Economic violence results in deepening poverty and compromises educational attainment and developmental opportunities for women. It leads to physical violence, promotes sexual exploitation and the risk of contracting HIV infection, maternal morbidity and mortality, and trafficking of women and girls. Economic abuse may continue even after the woman has left the abusive relationship.
Because of limited economic opportunities, women are sometimes forced to live with an abusive partner and put up with a lot of harassment because they are depended on the men.
Researches reveal that 60 percent of the physical and emotional abuse that women endure is directly linked to lack of financial independence. Instead of leaving an abusive husband, an unemployed woman with no source of income is more likely to stay in the relationship than an economically empowered woman facing a similar challenge. Multi-strategy interventions that promote equality between women and men, provide economic opportunities for women, inform them of their rights, reach out to men and change societal beliefs that permit exploitative behaviour on women are urgently required.
Forms of economic abuse go unreported mainly because both the victims and the perpetrators regard them as normal yet they lead to domestic violence. Economic gender based violence is the worst form of GBV which needs everyone’s attention and support.
Online Reporter