Story by Theophilus Chuma
Gender activists and social development leaders have red-flagged domestic violence against women and young girls as incidences of the vice have continued, some claiming the lives of innocent children.
Gender-based violence statistics have remained unsustainably high in the country with official reports showing over sixteen
thousand cases for January to October 2023.
Yet according to experts, the figures could be more, considering some women are suffering in silence, enduring a vice that has torn the
country’s social fabric.
At its worst, gender-based violence has claimed the lives of innocent
young lives, with the case of five-year-old Emmanuel Tinenyasha Mauka highlighting the ugly face of the scourge that knows no boundaries.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that about one in three women aged 15 to 49 have experienced either physical violence, sexual violence, or emotional violence, thereby increasing the need to curb gender-based violence.
Church leaders are taking action against gender-based violence.
“I believe this is no longer a case of just looking at the issues of gender-based violence as a social crime. We have to be very proactive in protecting young girls and women even before they are exposed to violence, said Pastor Kudakwashe Jose-Victorius Family Church International.
Social Development Advocate, Pastor Nobert Nhemachena weighed in saying, “We will be going around communities to strengthen awareness through programmes that incorporate men and women. Fighting gender-based violence requires buy-in from every stakeholder.”
At national level, the government launched a seven-year national strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV).
The national strategy, which runs from 2023-2030, provides a guiding framework for a national response to GBV.
