THE Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has implored government to adopt comprehensive gender-responsive action plans such as enacting laws protecting women in order to eliminate gender-based violence.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
The human rights group, in a statement to mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, said women continue to bear the brunt of different forms of violence.
ZPP said this partly stems from Zimbabwe being a patriarchal society, with deeply rooted gender norms, stereotypes, systematic inequalities and unequal power dynamics based on gender.
“ZPP, therefore, implores the government to adopt comprehensive, gender-responsive and multi-sectoral action plans to eliminate gender-based violence and enact laws that will protect women and girls from all forms of violence.
“As ZPP continues to monitor and document human rights violations, it is concerned that the number of women affected by the violations far exceeds the number that affects men.
“While women are direct victims of human rights violations, their situation is made worse, as most men affected by human rights violations are related to a woman in one way or the other,” the organisation said.
This year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is being held under the theme, From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make education safe for all.
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Reports indicate that one in every three girls in the country experiences sexual violence before they turn 18 years of age and 78 % of women report that their husband or intimate partner is the perpetrator.
Police records also show that domestic violence is on the increase in Zimbabwe, with 40 500 cases reported between January and September this year.
“ZPP calls on the responsible ministry, as well as the school institutions, to play a transformative role in shifting harmful gender norms like girls dropping out of school to fend for their families,” the human rights watchdog said.
“ZPP has also noted with concern that women bear the brunt of discrimination on political lines when food and other aid is distributed.
“This affects peace in the home and in the world. ZPP, therefore, demands that the responsible authorities take seriously complaints of food being distributed along political lines.”
