Churches must talk about sex: Padare

A male gender advocacy group, Padare/ Enkudleni, has invited Christian groups to assist with its education campaign to tackle gender violence. The campaign targets behaviour change through dialogue - encouraging men to accept the need for gender justice through personal and group activities.

“We need churches to make it a policy to talk freely during sermons about sexual matters. This is vital to ensure an HIV-free generation and reduce domestic violence – but such matters have not been articulated well in churches before now,” said Nakai Nengomasha, Padare’s programmes officer.

“The churches have been seeing them as kind of taboo and so we need to make a breakthrough and have those congregations speaking freely about sexual matters and the need to embrace peace in homes.”

Nengomasha said there was a likelihood of a rise in teenage pregnancies as long as debate on sexual matters and family planning issues remained closed to adolescents.

“Inadequate education results in gender violence. That is why we want churches to use their influence to talk about the issues,” he added.

According to the 2011 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey, one in four women have reported being a victim of sexual violence. One in three women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

Post published in: News

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