Zim set to launch national strategy for ending gen...

Zim set to launch national strategy for ending gender-based violence

**Minister Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa**

Audrey Galawu

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and medium Enterprises Development is set to launch the National Strategy for Preventing and Addressing Gender-Based Violence.

Minister Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa made the review at the Media Institute of Southern Africa event today to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which is being held under the theme: “Unite! Invest in Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls.

The theme calls upon all of us to step up and support different prevention strategies to stop violence.

Mutsvangwa said the strategy document will provide guidance to all stakeholders towards GBV programming.

“Let me at this point highlight that this strategy has taken on board emerging issues in GBV prevention and response and as cadres from the media you have a crucial role to play in information dissemination which is critical in fighting GBV.

“This strategy will be launched this month and we shall all be running with it and ensuring that we implement the various strategies as guided by the document.

“Implementation of this strategy will go a long way in addressing GBV in the country. May I also point out that government cannot achieve zero tolerance to GBV on its own, as such we need to have all stakeholders coming on board and working together with government to ensure that we eradicate this scourge. These stakeholders include yourselves who are in this room and you are key in meeting our objective of preventing and eliminating GBV.

Mutsvangwa emphasized that the issue of gender-based violence and child-marriages cannot be blamed upon a single group of people or status but rather, it should be addressed to different groups of people and culture.

“Instead GBV cuts across the social strata and therefore it is imperative that we address it at every level where it is found. It is our responsibility as duty bearers to ensure that we create a society that is free from Gender Based Violence as this is key to inclusive development.

“Ladies and gentlemen as part of the prevention strategies my Ministry together with other stakeholders continue to conduct awareness campaigns across the country and this is part of the prevention strategy where media comes in strongly by ensuring that people access information through various platforms especially those platforms that are easily accessible to women and girls who in most of the instances are affected by GBV.

Despite all these efforts GBV remains under-reported due to various reasons which include among others, the availability of GBV services, social pressures from relatives and lack of information regarding the legal framework,” she said.

The global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a key international moment to call for an end to violence against women and girls. It runs from November 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until 10th December, Human Rights Day.