The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
GOVERNMENT, through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, is intensifying efforts to combat gender-based violence and is in the process of setting up a GBV data management and information system that will enable them to track the prevalence of cases in the country.
Speaking during a media engagement meeting ahead of commemorations for 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence in Harare last week, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said Government is amplifying calls to end GBV.
She said Government remains committed to raising awareness and mobilising resources to address the root causes and consequences of this human rights violation that mostly affects women and girls.
“Manicaland Province is one of the provinces with high cases of child marriages, According to the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) report, Manicaland comes third on child marriages statistics.
“In 2023 alone, Manicaland lost at least four innocent young souls due to gender based violence and three other souls to domestic violence related cases. This is very sad and we need a multi-sectoral approach to address this.
“We will continue to raise awareness on the negative impacts of violence against women and other harmful practices, including child marriages. Most of the violence and harmful practices stem from child marriages,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said her ministry is in the process of setting up a GBV data management and information system which will enable them to track the prevalence of GBV in the country.
The system will also provide a basis for future programming as data is critical in evidence based programming, said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“We are also working towards strengthening our leadership and coordination role in the GBV Prevention and Response Cluster. Coordination is critical as it creates a platform for building synergies and collaboration, which has always brought results. Coordination is necessary to avoid duplication and fragmentation of GBV related interventions,” she said.
Among Government’s interventions to address GBV in the country is a High Level Political Compact on ending violence against Women and Harmful Practices, as well as the setting up of one-stop centres and shelters across the country.
“The elimination of violence against women and girls remain high on Government’s priorities. The High Level Political Compact on ending violence against Women and Harmful Practices, signed by President Mnangagwa, is as a stand-alone pillar on prevention.
“Similarly, the National GBV Strategy is explicit in highlighting prevention as key in addressing GBV. These two key documents are a testament to the plans we have,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She also said her ministry has established one-stop centres for GBV victims across the country, including one in Rusape.
A one-stop centre provides comprehensive GBV services under one roof. These include health care, legal support, psychosocial support and protection through the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
“We also have centres in Gweru, Gwanda, Bindura, Chinhoyi and Bulawayo, and it is our intention to have these set up in every province. Before the end of the year, we will also set up two additional one-stop centres in Marondera and Lupane, with resources coming from Government,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
This year alone, the six one-stop centres have offered services to at least 1 500 GBV survivors.
Government has also established community based shelters and three urban shelters to provide decent temporary roofs over the heads of domestic violence survivors.
Minister Mutsvangwa said her ministry will be hosting an awareness campaign at Hauna Growth Point.
She said this will give her ministry an opportunity to engage the community and community leaders so that they join the fight against GBV and strengthen collaborative efforts by multi-stakeholders working in the area.
According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS), in Zimbabwe, approximately one in three women aged between 15 and 49 has experienced physical violence.
The scourge is widespread, occurring across the country’s socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
