adminDaisy Jeremani Gender Editor
A CONSORTIUM of anti-gender based violence groups has pooled resources together and is building two safe houses in Bubi in Matabeleland North and Marange in Manicaland provinces. The houses will cater not only for women and girls from the two districts, but others as well.
In an interview, Musasa Project Bulawayo chapter manager Nomthandazo Jones said this was an integrated programme that was being supported by UNFPA and being implemented through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development.
“The shelter is a response to the issues around GBV coming from the districts,” she said on the Bubi safe house.
The shelter would be used as a safe haven by women and girls who would be waiting to make decisions concerning their problems.
“This will not be on a permanent basis but they would be given comprehensive help in order to deal with their situation,” Jones said.
There will also be a number of other interventions, among them legal aid and counselling.
Jones said she did not have the exact figures on how much it would cost to build the shelter. The two pilot projects in Bubi and Marange were being built so that they include traditional leaders in their set up.
The Manicaland safe house is in Chief Marange’s area while the Bubi one is in Chief Mtshana Khumalo’s. Both chiefs also sit in the Anti-Domestic Violence Council of Zimbabwe, which reports directly to the Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development.
Most GBV cases happen due to some cultural practices, so having traditional leaders who are the custodians of our culture spear-heading or being part of the project could help in fighting abuse.
The two houses will be used as best practices when a national effort is rolled out to other provinces, in order to take the issue to every part of the country.
These are some of the programmes that reflect that the government was committed to addressing the problem of GBV.
It has also enacted various laws and policies that ensure maximum protection of victims of GBV. Among these is the Domestic Violence Act, (Chapter 5:16) which calls for concerted and multi-sectoral prevention and response efforts to the problem. Through this law, victims are entitled to comprehensive care and support services, which include health care, psychosocial support and safe sheltering.
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