Shamva community makes huge strides in fighting GBV

Ivan Zhakata in SHAMVA

The Shamva community has made huge strides in the fight against gender-based violence with cases being reported falling swiftly.

Cases of gender-based violence had been a cause for concern across the country and Government is making many efforts to end this through promoting equality between males and females, so making it unacceptable, and taking action against those who continue.

Through an initiative called Start Awareness Support Action (SASA) by National Aids Council (NAC), Shamva residents have been engaged to speak out and protect their rights.

NAC district aids coordinator Mr Shepherd Zanamwe said through the SASA programme, the council was working on reducing HIV infection and child marriages, and this required among other innitiatives tackling gender based violence.

“The SASA programme is being implemented in HIV and we are working with Chief Bushu and Chief Nyamaropa to make sure that cases of gender based violence are reduced,” he said.

“Gender based violence hits young people from 19 years and many cases result in STI infections. We have involved our traditional chiefs , village heads and church leaders in the fight against gender based violence and ways of reducing HIV and STIs. We are happy the cases of gender based violence are reducing and people are now aware of where to go when they are sexually abused.”

One of the gender based violence victims, Mrs Yvonne Gaba said she was once a victim of domestic violence, but was now living in a peaceful marriage, complements of the SASA programme.

“I am one of the women who used to suffer domestic violence,” she said. “My husband’s behaviour was like an animal and used to beat me almost everyday until I was introduced to the SASA programme and they engaged us and taught us on how we can live peacefully together.

“Currently, we are in a happy marriage and at some point we helped our neighbour who also used to abuse his wife. We are happy that cases of gender based violence are reducing in our community.”

Mrs Tabeth Mugure from the Jiti community said she had no respect for her husband as he was not giving her money which resulted in the two fighting.

“I am one of the women who did not respect her husband and we used to fight everyday,” she said. “All I wanted was money because my husband is an artisanal miner

“We used to fight until I was introduced to the SASA programme who told me that money was not important when it comes to family. We are counselled and now we no longer fight.”

Mrs Tabeth Muhomba said she was happy that her children now had respect for her.

“I was a very vicious woman and my husband was afraid of me because I used to beat him a lot,” she said. “My children were even afraid of me to the extent that they lost respect for me. After joining SASA I am now a responsible mother and my children now respect me.”

Jiti village head, Mr Liberty Mhandu said he was happy that cases of domestic violence were reducing in his area of jurisdiction and Shamva at large

“There were a lot of gender based violence cases in my jurisdiction, but we did not know how to solve the problems,” he said. “When the SASA programme was introduced in this district it helped a lot of women to know their right and reduced gender based violence cases.

“We used to have a belief that if a man beats his wife, he loves her and if he does not, he does not love her.”