Valerie Chatindo
In recent years, efforts to combat Gender Based Violence have grown and intensified. With increased support from international organizations, committees, local governments, CSO’s (Civil Society Organizations) and grassroots community based initiatives, the movement has become a ubiquitous wave throughout the world.
“No to Gender Based Violence! Women and men should not be victims of abuse under any circumstance. Pasi neGBV. Mukadzi Haarowhi”. Has become the chant of the nation of Zimbabwe as each citizen has risen up to the cause and taken up the mantra.
In a show of solidarity to the cause our RYC’s (Rural Youth Collectives) travelled from all four corners of Zimbabwe to participate in a march attended by a Delegation of the European Union to Zimbabwe and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), under the HeForShe Banner.
Taking place on the 29th of January, the event was also attended by our very own Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity, Monica Mutsvangwa who made sure not exclude men from the conversation during her scintillating and captivating speech where she emphasized that, “Female perpetrators of GBV will end up in prison. No more exceptions Ladies”.
As sad as it is to admit, GBV continues to be an issue in our Rural communities where the disparity between men and women continues to exist mostly due to economic imbalances. Girls are usually taken out of the education system early to be married off or because most parents choose to give educational preferences to their sons. In these societies, it is better to educate a boy than a girl, the rationalisation being that girls are expected to be married off anyways.
Our culture reveres the male child because he is seen as the custodian of the family line, wealth and assets. The girl child goes off to her husband’s family, takes up his family name and no longer belongs to her family.
In urban families these ideas are fast becoming out of date however in the rural communities, there still is much work to be done.
Listen. Uneducated girls become uneducated women. Uneducated women in most cases fall victim to abuse from their spouses because they are not empowered.
Our Youth Collective is saying no to these challenges as they continue to advocate for equal treatment of boys and girls. Why? This kind of attitude goes a long way in mitigating GBV and ensuring the girl child is in the classroom, where just like the boy child, she belongs.
We continue to stand with our RYC’s and we must say.
We are proud of you guys.
Continue to shine on!