EVEN though Zambia has made significant strides in combating gender-based violence (GBV) and early marriages, the two vices continue to pose a significant threat to the well-being and potential of citizens, especially women and girls.
These harmful practices not only perpetuate cycles of abuse and trauma but also impede the country’s progress towards gender equality in line with its development goals.
The vices need collaborative efforts to tackle. The Government, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders must work together to reduce or eliminate them altogether.
Over the years the Government has taken a number of measures to address GBV. In addition to establishing one-stop centres in clinics and hospitals to deal with such issues, a unit in the Zambia Police Service has been dedicated to such cases – the Victim Support Unit.
Such efforts, as much as they go a long way in ameliorating the impact of such vices, they may not be sufficient in providing relief to victims.
This is why we welcome the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) announcement that in the last 10 years, they accommodated over 700 victims of abuse.
The impact of GBV and early marriages on individuals, families, and communities is profound and far-reaching. Victims often face physical and mental health challenges, among others
Early and forced marriages, which disproportionately affect young girls, are one of the most distressing manifestations of GBV in Zambia. Despite the legal age of marriage being set at 21, the practice of child marriage persists, with 31 percent of girls in Zambia being married before the age of 18.
Early marriages rob these young girls of their childhood, education, and future opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
Poverty is usually one of the drivers of early and forced marriages. Children are usually married off by their poor families as a way of getting rid of an extra mouth to feed and also as a way of earning some money through bride price.
In cases where such girls are retrieved from these marriages, there is need to have facilities where they can be accommodated and helped through the process of recovery and re-entry into school.
It is gratifying that YWCA has continued to provide support to victims of GBV, most of whom are victims of defilement.
It is also heart-warming that victims once accommodated undergo psychological counselling and are also helped to secure justice.
Indeed, providing shelter and food for victims of GBV is critical in curbing the vice.
This is why we hail the association for opening a rehabilitated shelter for GBV victims and urge all those who can to render a helping hand to such ventures as they are for the public good.
By providing a safe haven for survivors of GBV and early marriages, these facilities play a crucial role in breaking the cycle of violence and offering a pathway to healing and recovery.
Such facilities also serve as advocacy hubs, raising awareness about the detrimental effects of GBV and early marriages.
Safe havens critical in fight against GBV
EVEN though Zambia has made significant strides in combating gender-based violence (GBV) and early marriages, the two vices continue to pose a significant threat to the well-being and potential of citizens, especially women and girls.
These harmful practices not only perpetuate cycles of abuse and trauma but also impede the country’s progress towards gender equality in line with its development goals.
The vices need collaborative efforts to tackle. The Government, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders must work together to reduce or eliminate them altogether.
Over the years the Government has taken a number of measures to address GBV. In addition to establishing one-stop centres in clinics and hospitals to deal with such issues, a unit in the Zambia Police Service has been dedicated to such cases – the Victim Support Unit.
Such efforts, as much as they go a long way in ameliorating the impact of such vices, they may not be sufficient in providing relief to victims.
This is why we welcome the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) announcement that in the last 10 years, they accommodated over 700 victims of abuse.
The impact of GBV and early marriages on individuals, families, and communities is profound and far-reaching. Victims often face physical and mental health challenges, among others
Early and forced marriages, which disproportionately affect young girls, are one of the most distressing manifestations of GBV in Zambia. Despite the legal age of marriage being set at 21, the practice of child marriage persists, with 31 percent of girls in Zambia being married before the age of 18.
Early marriages rob these young girls of their childhood, education, and future opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
Poverty is usually one of the drivers of early and forced marriages. Children are usually married off by their poor families as a way of getting rid of an extra mouth to feed and also as a way of earning some money through bride price.
In cases where such girls are retrieved from these marriages, there is need to have facilities where they can be accommodated and helped through the process of recovery and re-entry into school.
It is gratifying that YWCA has continued to provide support to victims of GBV, most of whom are victims of defilement.
It is also heart-warming that victims once accommodated undergo psychological counselling and are also helped to secure justice.
Indeed, providing shelter and food for victims of GBV is critical in curbing the vice.
This is why we hail the association for opening a rehabilitated shelter for GBV victims and urge all those who can to render a helping hand to such ventures as they are for the public good.
By providing a safe haven for survivors of GBV and early marriages, these facilities play a crucial role in breaking the cycle of violence and offering a pathway to healing and recovery.
Such facilities also serve as advocacy hubs, raising awareness about the detrimental effects of GBV and early marriages.