Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
THE Spotlight Initiative is advancing the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices in Matabeleland South Province.
This is being done through a broad partnership with civil society, Government, private sector, media and building a social movement of women, men, girls and boys as champions and agents of change.
The Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
It is funded by the European Union and is being implemented by UNDP, Unicef, UN Women, UNFPA, Unesco and the ILO in Zimbabwe.
Co-chaired by the UN Resident Co-ordinator’s office and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Spotlight Initiative also has a national civil society reference group to promote stakeholder accountability and civil society engagements.
In Umzingwane District, the Apostolic Women’s Empowerment Trust (AWET) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care has been tackling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Covid-19 through community engagement activities.
AWET together with behaviour change facilitators discuss Sexual Gender-Based Violence, child marriages, poverty, gender relations and Covid-19 preventative measures among other critical issues.
AWET Head of Programmes Ms Hope Dunhira said the Spotlight Initiative is focusing on GBV against women and girls particularly focusing on wife beating and child marriages.
“The response has been really great and we’re now being invited to schools where our behavioural change facilitators who are residents in the communities, have been going to primary and secondary schools to raise awareness on how best we can protect ourselves from Covid-19 and ensuring that everyone is adhering to the guidelines. We’re working very closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” said Ms Dunhira.
She said the meetings are held on Tuesdays every two weeks.
“We’ve been part of the regional platform where we’ve been sharing what we’ve been doing in Zimbabwe because AWET is working in 52 districts across the country. We have over 3 500 behaviour change facilitators who are in the communities in the 52 districts,” said Ms Dunhira.
“We’re currently working under the Spotlight Initiative which is a global call to end violence against women and girls, specifically zeroing in on child marriage issues. In Matabeleland South province, we’re in Umzingwane, Bulilima, Gwanda, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Insiza and Mangwe Districts.
The behaviour change facilitators are doing door-to-door sensitisations, meetings with communities and they’re also engaging traditional and local leaders within the communities. These behaviour change facilitators have helped us with sustainability because even if the programme were to come to an end, we know there’s going to be continuity.”
She said her organisation has been dealing with issues of child marriage and children that have been abused or violated in any way.
“When we get into the communities, we don’t work in isolation. There are other organisations that are in the communities so we look at other partners and the services they provide and then we do referrals,” said Ms Dunhira.
The Trust has been advancing dialogue and understanding of gender issues as apostolic sects have various beliefs, norms, values and perceptions on key social issues such as child marriages, education, HIV/Aids and maternal health.
Using direct community engagement activities, AWET communicates SGBV at the household level as well as offer reporting mechanisms such as toll-free numbers and referral pathways. — @Yolisswa
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