We hope the model will go a long way in dealing with the malaise of GBV that has become so prevalent in our society –even in this modern day world. It is gratifying that our politicians have seen and now appreciate the need for comprehensive interventions against GBV.
The strategy, which covers the period from now up to 2015, rightly highlights areas that need collaborative efforts and points out gaps in initiatives so far adopted to fight GBV.
The proposed strategic paradigm seeks to embrace a holistic approach to domestic violence, by not only focusing on the home, but addressing issues that have a bearing on communal harmony among the sexes.
Clearly, the war will not be won overnight, as Rome was also not built in a day. Gender-based violence is an age-old phenomenon in our society, which remains patriarchal. It is encouraging that in the last decade or so there has been evidence of official enthusiasm to rid our society of this regressive tendency.
Women have successfully fought for the enactment of a law that addresses issues relating to GBV, the Domestic Violence Act.
Already, there is evidence that women, who have borne the heavier brunt of GBV as compared to their male counterparts, are warming up to the reality and nobility of the law, as shown by an increase in the number of women prepared to come out and report cases of abuse in the home.
However, the number could be higher. There are still many women out there who, because of the type of society and norms into which they were initiated, still think it is taboo to report their husbands for abuse. The general fear is that doing so would worsen an already precarious situation in the home.
It is our hope that those lobbying against GBV will also fight against institutional resistance. For instance, reports abound of police officers who refuse to take reports from women who are abused, urging the aggrieved party instead to go back home and try to solve the issue privately. That, of course, gives the abusers a sense of impunity and creates a vicious cycle of violence.
Of course, these are only some of the gaps that the fight against GBV should seriously take into consideration. It is our hope that, come 2015, Zimbabwe will be a domestic violence free nation. This is important because there is no way in which we can talk of national peace when there are wars in the homes and communities.
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga