Thandolwenkosi Sibindi, the programmes manager of National Youth Development Trust (NYDT), said a recent survey conducted in the city revealed that one in every three young women was a victim of gender-based violence.
“We have traced the majority of violence cases to domestic conflicts caused by job losses. A lot of breadwinners have lost their jobs and this has created financial tensions in families,” said Sibindi.
Bulawayo used to be the country’s industrial hub, but widespread corruption coupled with mismanagement by the government and the collapse of agriculture after the land invasions that began in 2000 have seen more than 100 companies close shop during the past decade – throwing thousands of workers onto the streets.
Big companies such as National Blankets , Zeco, Archer clothing , Security Mills and Merlin have closed down or relocated , leaving more than 25,000 workers jobless.
Abuse
Sibindi said a lot of young women not only in Bulawayo but throughout country were not economically empowered; a situation that exposes them to violence and other forms of abuse.
“If greater strides had been taken to economically empower women, I do not think we would have these financially-induced tensions in our families. If well supported and resourced, women can sustain their families as much as men can,” she said.
One young woman, Michelle Tembo, said a lot of women were suffering in silence at their homes. They are reluctant to report because they would not know where their next meal would come from if their husbands are locked up,” she said.
“As long as women continue to financially depend on men the war against GBV will not be won. The majority of women view their husbands as prized assets which they cannot part way with no matter how they are treated.”
Tembo said most victims of GBV also lack knowledge on how to take abuse cases to the responsible authorities.
Cumbersome
Karen Gwirusa lamented the mechanisms to address GBV, which she said were cumbersome and victim unfriendly. “We need to teach our institutions such as the police and the victim friendly courts on how to handle sensitive cases of GBV. We have cases where victims have been asked ridiculous questions such as what type of dress they were wearing when the abuse occurred,” she said.
“The protection measures should be friendly as well as easily accessible to poor women,” she added.
Sibindi said her organisation had established young women’s Study Circles in the high density suburbs to facilitate dialogue and share information on GBV among young women.
The government enacted laws against gender-based violence and the Domestic Violence Act which criminalises GBV in 2007 following an unprecedented upsurge in cases of domestic violence.
Post published in: Gender Equality