Social stigma and a patriarchal society are likely behind the low number of men reporting gender-based violence by their female partners, police in Bulawayo have said.
BY DUDUZILE NDLUKULWANI
“We are encouraging men to speak out. Only a few cases of gender-based violence whereby men are abused by females have been reported,” Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango told Southern Eye on the sidelines of the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence in the province.
She could, however, not provide statistics.
Simango said police officers were taught customer care to avoid cases of having officials laughing at male victims of gender-based violence.
Meanwhile, the Sign Language Interpreter Trust staged a play during the event to highlight that sign language communities have difficulties in reporting gender-based violence affecting them because there is lack of sign language interpreters at police stations.
