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Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in support of an international campaign to end violence against women through the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV), which opened yesterday with particular emphasis this year on persons with disability.
The campaign starts on November 25 and ends on December 10 annually, and is used as a unifying tactic around the world for prevention and elimination of GBV.
This year’s promotion comes at a time the world is fighting Covid-19 whose prevention is anchored on avoiding travel and promoting people to stay at home as well as work from home.
Spending more time at home has exacerbated cases of domestic violence, and persons living with disabilities have not been spared, and it has been noted that men are also suffering abuse in silence.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima said the Government was taking measures to encourage people to speak out against the vice.
The Government “is taking measures to strengthen its efforts to dismantle the silence that surrounds GBV that is perpetrated against persons with disabilities”.
“Such silence results in perpetrators not being exposed or prosecuted, thereby paving the way for offenders to perpetuate GBV against persons with disabilities,” said Prof Mavima.
“Through the Department of Disability Affairs, my ministry will, throughout the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, interact with persons with disabilities and facilitate their voice in a process in which a documentary on the experiences of GBV of persons with disabilities in both rural and urban communities is being developed, beginning today.”
Professor Mavima said his ministry, as the custodian of the Disabled Persons Act, is working with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and development partners on the rights of persons with disability.
“The project enabled a recent rapid assessment on the impact of Covid-19 on persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe and the findings of such an assessment which include issues of GBV are being considered to strengthen the Ministry’s GBV strategy that relates to persons with disabilities.”
Minister Mavima said men with disabilities may experience GBV as their masculinity is often ridiculed on the grounds of disability.
In a statement yesterday, Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) said as a political formation they do not tolerate violence of women in communities, workplace and in the political economy.
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