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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter
AS gender-based violence (GBV) continues to plague communities worldwide, the United Nations in Zimbabwe has called for urgent and collaborative action to address the scourge.
Data shows that one in every three women or girls will face GBV in their lifetime, highlighting the need for a multifaceted approach to combating it.
In an interview yesterday, UN Women Zimbabwe country representative Ms Fatou Lo, said the 16 days of activism against GBV are a platform to emphasise and spotlight GBV issues.
“When we talk about GBV, it is not women we don’t know. Sometimes it’s us, our neighbour, sister, colleague or friend,” she said.
“As far as I am concerned, every woman or girl who experiences gender-based violence is one too many. So 16 days of activism reminds us that way too many women and girls still face this challenge and we need to remember them.
“We need to come together as a world, as men and women, girls and boys, private sector, Government, United Nations, civil society organisation, young and old, to really build awareness about this issue and to make sure that we are not only working on prevention, but also on the response.”
Ms Lo also noted there is a need to enhance accountability, where the justice system is well-equipped to deal with GBV issues.
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This, she said, was because most GBV survivors fail to get justice due to lack of evidence, hence having forensic evidence could make a difference.
“As UN Women in Zimbabwe, eliminating violence against women and girls is central to our mandate globally and at country level.
“So, it’s one of the three pillars that we focus on under our country programme for the ongoing five years, starting 2022 to 2026. UN Women, together with all the sister agencies, has led the Spotlight Initiative, which has delivered greater awareness of the issue,” she said.
The Spotlight Initiative has delivered one-stop centres where survivors can be attended to, and referral pathways and shelters for survivors, safe markets to ensure survivors have livelihoods and access to their economic rights.
Ms Lo emphasised the importance of male engagement as they are a big part of the response to GBV.
“We are not going to resolve this issue by only working with women. We also need the men on board because the perpetrators are oftentimes men and we need them to also be aware that this kind of behaviour is detrimental not only to the women, but even to the children growing up in abusive homes.
“So, it needs a whole of society effort and a whole of Government approach. Everybody has a role to play, whether you are in the private sector, the public sector, the civil society and media.
“We are leaving no one behind in addressing this issue of violence against women,” she added.
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