Livingstone, November 30/09-ZANIS – Government has retaliated its commitment to the fight against Gender Based Violence.
Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said gender based violence is an act that should be eliminated whether in public and private life.
Mr. Munkombwe pointed out that the gender based violence act includes physical
and sexual assaults, neglect, verbal attacks, insults, threats, harassment and other psychological abuses.
He said this in a speech read for him by Livingstone Mayor Jorum Mwinda at the gender based violence show for Coordinated Response Centre (CRC) held at the civic centre in Livingstone on Saturday.
Mr. Munkombwe noted that violence against women was on the increase evident by several stories of violence in the media.
He stressed that gender based violence has far reaching consequences and can cause irreversible effects on the physical, psychological and social well being of an individual.
And Mr. Munkombwe charged that while gender based violence often takes place on the private sphere, it has an indirect but dramatic impact on a country’s health care system and places a severe burden on the national work force as cited by World Health Organization.
He disclosed that government remains committed in confronting gender based violence through its legal reforms which include the enactment of the proposed Anti Domestic Violence act which will among other things provide stiffer penalties for perpetrators of gender violence.
Mr. Munkombwe said this would ensure provision of quality services for survivors of violence and comprehensive protection of women’s rights.
He added that the formation of the child protection and women units is also another measure that would ensure that children are fully protected from gender violence and its effects.
At the same occasion, Bishop Raymond Mpezele of Livingstone Diocese said the church will always remain committed in the fight against gender based violence through the preaching of the word of God.
Bishop Mpezele thanked all the cooperating partners that were involved in making gender based violence road show a success in Livingstone.
The Bishop said this in a speech read for him by Fr. Clement Temba of Livingstone Catholic Diocese.
And in a vote of thanks, Livingstone Safer Zambia Project (ASAZA) Coordinated Response Centre (CRC) Advisory Council Chairperson Dorothy Velemu urged the survivors of gender based violence irrespective of gender, age and status, to report any case of violence to relevant authorities.
The Livingstone gender based violence road show was made possible with the support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the diocese of Livingstone, a Safer Zambia Project (ASAZA), UNICEF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The show was spiced up by the Sakala Brothers, the national dance troop and the Liwase drama group of Livingstone.
ZANIS
What is Gender violence. To many its only when a man batters his wife or girl friend. There are inatances where women abuse their husbands especially when one loses employment or a source of livelyhood becomes bad. I remember one fela who beat up his wife in frustration, it was tools down, no washing clothes, no womanly duties for anything it was a big struggle and after some time she walked out the guy. As luck is always a chance the guy has landed himself a good job in one of the NGO’s and the woman is busy trying a come back bid which the guy has refused to entertain. Now the guy is baing taken to ZP Victim Support Unit and the NGO’s. The guy has no peace and she has vowed to do everthing within her means to destroy the man’s career. Help bane with your comments to advise the guy.