Men’s Conference joins GBV fight

Bridget Mabanda

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED) has applauded the organisers of Men’s Conference as it has brought men to dialogue on the issue of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Speaking at the “He Can Movement 2022 Men’s Conference: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence”, Mercy Madzviti, on behalf of the provincial development officer for Harare Metropolitan Province, said the target is usually on women and girls, excluding men and boys, yet they are considered to be the perpetrators of violence.

“This year’s Men’s Conference Theme: MEN UNITED! Activism to end violence against women and girls is in tandem with government’s efforts towards eradicating SGBV and has seen networks, civil society and women’s rights, the UN system, government partners, schools, the private sector, associations and individuals coming together to advocate for inclusive, comprehensive and long-term strategies, programmes and resources to prevent and eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls,” she said.

The Men’s Conference comes at a time when the nation is launching in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe in Mashonaland East Province today.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international event that kicks off today and runs until 10 December of every year.

Madzviti said the latest estimates say nearly 1 in 3 women aged 15 years and older around the world have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, non-partner or both, at least once in their lifetime, indicating that levels of VAWG have remained largely unchanged over the last decade.

She also said there is need to mobilise different stakeholders to deliver transformational progress towards the elimination and prevention of Gender-Based Violence through concrete actions that enable policy, legal and resource environments.

Gokwe-Chireya Member Parliament, Tonderai Moyo said there is need to raise awareness among citizens.

“There must be educative sessions from Civil Society Groups on issues of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence,” he said.

He also suggested that Civil Society Groups must present petitions on Gender-Based Violence.

Organisers of this year’s Men’s Conference, My Age Zimbabwe said they have been conducting workshops that aim at achieving gender equality and eliminating Gender-Based Violence.

“We do community dialogues with both boys and girls since our intervention is targeting young people. We are teaching boys on how to respect the girl child or a woman,” said Wadzanai Dzimwasha, My Age Zimbabwe programmes manager.

She added that the He Can movement is about men standing for women against GBV as they are meant to protect women.

Dzimwasha said they will work with youths digitally through the recently launched studio ‘263 Youth TV’.

“Digitally, we are going to have theatre plays on social media to have digital dialogue with different people on SGBV.

“We learnt from Covid-19 that there is need to raise awareness digitally as we were at home doing nothing as gatherings were banned,” she said.

Gender-Based Violence is a phenomenon that transcends social, economic, and geographic borders and impacts girls, women, men, boys, and gender non-conforming individuals all over the world.