Launching the £60 million Integrated Support Programme in Harare last week, she said less than three percent of girls who had experienced sexual violence subsequently received professional help. “This programme will seek to rectify that appalling situation,” said Rintoul.
ISP is a four year programme begun in 2012 financed by UK Aid, Irish Aid, the Swedish Government and USAID. Rintoul said while sexual reproductive health was important to everyone, the marginalized always suffered the most.
“By end of 2015 services will be offered to 7,000 survivors of sexual assault and rape. The programme will also address the underlying cultural and social causes of violence against women and girls, reaching more than one million people,” she said.
Rintoul’s remarks come only weeks after a 10-year-old, Stacy Munjoma, was raped and murdered by unknown assailants. Her body was found near Rugare Community Hall on February 27, after she was reported missing on Monday.
A recent survey shows that 32.5 percent of girls in Zimbabwe report experiencing sexual violence before the age of 18. According to a report by the Victim Friendly Unit, more than 2,400 girls were raped between January and October last year. Childline, which assists children in distress, reported that 69 percent of the calls they received last year were girls who had been sexually abused.
The Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2010-2011 noted that one in four women aged between 15 and 49 have experienced sexual violence.
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