Numerous laws enacted to protect gender-based violence survivors
ZIMBABWE joined the rest of world in commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which ran from November 25 to December 10. The Herald Features Editor Elita Chikwati (EC) had an interview with Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa (MM) on what Government is doing to curb GBV.
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EC: What are the most prevalent forms of violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe?
MM: The major forms of violence that women and girls face in the country are physical violence that include murders and suicides, sexual violation such as rape and sexual assault, child marriage and emotional and psychological violence.
EC: What are the causes of such GBV especially in homes, workplaces and churches?
MM: Violence against women and girls emanate from a number of factors that include but not limited to the following:
for women and girls often predispose them to many vulnerabilities including Gender Based Violence. Where women are economically empowered they are less likely to be over dependent on their male partners and they also have the power to make decisions over matters that affect their lives. Where the violence is unbearable a woman can decide to leave the toxic relationship.
power imbalances and give preference to men. These practices provide a basis for justifying gender based violence.
practices that facilitate GBV. These influence the way men and women perceive each other in terms of rights and obligations. These also perpetuate the subordinate role of women which the modern society is challenging and in the process leading to gender based violence.
rights of women and girls as well as consequences and impact of GBV increases the vulnerability to violence. Absence of knowledge on the legal framework may reduce the help seeking behaviour of survivors leading to increased violence.
of leading people to violent behaviour which often leads to fighting within families.
one’s behaviour and the way men and women are socialised determine how they perceive violence as a way of solving disagreements.
and women are often used to justify violence on women.
EC: How can girls and women be protected
from, GBV?
MM: A host of programmes are in place to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Some of the interventions include;
that address gender inequalities and promote healthy relationships are key to building peaceful societies. Awareness programmes should challenge the existing negative social, cultural and religious norms and practices.
framework and the available response services will help to increase access to justice thereby reducing GBV.
role in promoting economic independence of women and girls and giving them an option if they are faced with abuse.
will assist in providing deterring sentences to would be offenders and ensures that survivors get access to services. This also include development of the workplace sexual harassment policies that prohibit sexual harassment. and girls and be promotive of zero tolerance to violence.
in to protect women and girls against violence. Having male champions will go a long way in building positive masculinity, challenging negative stereotypes and shifting social norms.
with religious, traditional and other influential leaders will provide a strong foundation for zero tolerance to GBV in the communities.
collaboration among Government agencies, civil society organisations, educational institutions, workplaces, religious institutions, and other relevant stakeholders. Multi-sectoral partnerships can enhance co-ordination, resource allocation, and the effectiveness of prevention and response efforts.
EC: What has Government, particularly your Ministry, done to protect girls and women from GBV?
MM: Government has enacted a number of laws to protect survivors from Gender Based Violence. The Domestic Violence Act (Chapter 5:16) criminalises domestic violence and provides legal remedies and protection orders for survivors. The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act criminalises rape, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual violence.
The Trafficking in Persons Act criminalises human trafficking, including trafficking for sexual exploitation. Also the Marriages Act which was recently enacted sets the age of marriage at 18 and criminalises child marriage.
In terms of the policy framework, Government has put in place a number of policies to deal with violence against women and girls. At national level, His Excellency, the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa signed a commitment document to reaffirm his commitment towards ending GBV and harmful practices.
The High Level Political Compact sets a tone for everyone to implement measure and programmes aimed at addressing GBV and harmful practices. The Ministry has also co-ordinated the development of the National Strategy to prevent and address GBV, which gives a guiding framework to all stakeholders on implementation of programmes.
The Public Service Commission has developed the Sexual Harassment Policy, a document that gives policy direction in addressing sexual harassment in the work place. Taking from this policy document, organisations are developing strategies to combat sexual harassment at the workplace.
The Ministry together with partners from the Civil Society Organisations are carrying out awareness campaigns to share information with communities on the legal framework and on availability of GBV services.
A number of engagements with traditional and religious leaders have been conducted with the objecting of interrogating our social and cultural norms and practices to ensure they are not promoting GBV.
The Ministry in partnership with UN Agencies and CSOs have established One Stop Centres and safe shelters that provide comprehensive GBV services to survivors. The centres provide counselling, health, police and legal services to survivors. Safe shelters provide temporary accommodation to survivors and assist survivors to access comprehensive GBV services. Survivors stay at the centre until such a time when it is safe to return home.
EC: What major strides have the Ministry achieved in the fight to protect girls and women and reduce cases of GBV. MM: The establishment of GBV response centres in the form of One Stop Centres and safe shelters has resulted in increased reportage of cases and thereby reducing incidences of GBV.
On the legislative part the Ministry together with partners have lobbied for mandatory sentencing of rape perpetrators, a milestone development which has seen Government imposing prohibitive sentencing to perpetrators of rape.
The Ministry has established economic empowerment opportunities for women and girls through its various funding models.
Under the Spotlight Initiative programme, the Ministry with support from EU embarked on the economic empowerment of GBV survivors and the programme has enabled them to improve on their livelihoods.
EC: This year’s theme for the 16 days of activism against gender based violence is “Unite! investing to prevent violence against women and girls”. How relevant is this theme to activities being undertaken by Government to curb GBV against women?
MM: The Government’s priority in relation to GBV programming is prevention. The theme highlights the need for collaboration among various stakeholders, including Governments, civil society organisations, community leaders, and individuals, to address the root cause of GBV and create a safer environment for women and girls. Some of the investments that Government has done are:
centres in Rusape, Gweru, Gwanda, Bindura, Chinhoyi and Bulawayo, and it is our intention to have these set up in every province.
particularly Musasa and Family Aids Caring Trust (FACT), has co-ordinated the setting up of shelters around the country. There is need for provision of decent temporary shelters for survivors of domestic violence. To date we have 13 community based shelters and three urban shelters.
empowerment opportunities to women and girls across the country.
various platforms such as; radio, television, road shows, printing and distribution of a simplified version of the Domestic Violence Act in English, Shona and Ndebele, and carrying out dialogues with religious and traditional leaders, amongst many initiatives.
Government through the Ministry of Finance and Investment Promotion, developed guidelines for all Ministries on Gender Responsive Budgeting and a training was carried out to capacitate budget officers in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, finance directors and gender focal Persons in Ministries.
Gender Responsive Budgeting operates on the fundamental principle that gender equality is not just a matter of social justice but also a catalyst for economic growth and sustainable development.
EC: Apart from what the theme says, what is the Ministry’s objective in commemorating the 16 days of activism against GBV?
MM: The Ministry aims to raise public awareness about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of gender-based violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe. By generating public discourse and knowledge about GBV, the Ministry seeks to challenge social norms, reduce stigma, and promote a culture of non-violence and gender equality.
The Ministry uses the 16 Days of Activism as an opportunity to advocate for policy reforms and legislative changes that strengthen the response to GBV. This includes calling for the enactment or amendment of laws that protect the rights of survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and promote gender equality.
The Ministry aims to highlight the availability and importance of support services for survivors of GBV. This includes promoting access to shelters, counselling services, help lines, legal aid clinics, and other assistance programs. The objective is to ensure that survivors are aware of these services and can access them when needed.
The Ministry may use the campaign period to mobilise resources and support for initiatives aimed at preventing and addressing GBV.
This includes engaging with development partners, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to secure funding and resources for GBV prevention programmes, support services, and capacity-building efforts. The campaign aims to empower women and girls by promoting their rights, agency, and participation in society.
This may involve organising events, workshops, and training programmes that enhance their knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling them to assert their rights and challenge gender-based violence.
EC: What is the Ministry doing to empower
women?
MM: A number of programmes are in place to empower women economically and socially.
The Ministry provides skills and business management trainings to women and girls to enable them to initiate their own income generating activities.
Provision of technical and financial support is key to business growth. As such the Ministry through the Women Development Fund, Community Development Fund, Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank and SMEDCO is providing loans to small businesses most of which are owned by women. These loans go a long way in capacitating women’s businesses.
Women are also linked to various financial institutions where they can access funding for their projects.
EC: Activities against GBV have focused mainly on women. Are there any specific programmes targeting women who are increasingly becoming victims of violence?
MM: Government working with Civil Society Organisations has engaged men in different platforms and creating safe spaces for them to discuss their challenges. The platforms also seek to challenge the stereotypes that men face as they attempt to report cases of GBV.
Men engagements have been conducted with men leaders to advocate for changes in attitudes and perceptions and to promote positive masculinities.