By Beni Bamusi
Thyolo, December 7, Mana: Thyolo District Council commemorated 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence on Friday with a call to traditional and religious leaders and non-governmental organizations to join hands in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the district.
The commemoration, which was held under the theme; Towards 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: Unite to End Violence against Women took place at Molere Primary School ground, Traditional Authority Changata.
Thyolo District Council Chairperson, Petro Bowman said it should be the task of every citizen to put an end various forms of abuse that people in the district face.
“As a council, we are working hand in hand with traditional leaders, faith-based organizations, and the police to stop gender-based violence in the district. We want everyone to know that ending GBV is a role of every citizen and that we all need to prevent and report cases of GBV to relevant authorities,” he said.
He encouraged people to amicably settle their differences and stop all forms of abuse saying GBV is a human rights violation and has detrimental effects.
“Some people resort to suicide because they have been abused either physically or psychologically,” added Bowman.
Thyolo District Council, Gender Officer, Gerald Zgambo said GBV cases are still on the rise in Thyolo attributing the trend to culture, economic situations, and limited land for farming.
He observed that in some cases GBVs occur, in tea estates where guards rape women when they find them fetching firewood.
“Thyolo follows a matrimonial type of marriage, men are not being regarded as men such that they suffer from this type of marriage. This is another form of GBV.
“Right now we are dealing with a case of an old man who is being chased away from where he was married for years. We need to look into such cultures,” he said.
He disclosed that the district registered approximately 300 cases of GBV with economic and sexual abuse on the lead followed by physiological abuse.
Traditional Authority Changata pleaded with the community to refrain from GBV and called on victims and concerned communities to report all forms of abuse to relevant authorities for action.
He also encouraged fellow chiefs to always refer cases of GBV to police or community-based victim support units as opposed to dealing with the cases on their own.
Commemorated from November 25th to December 10th annually, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that raises awareness and advocates for action to end violence against women and girls.
