Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Judith Ncube has bemoaned the loss of the ‘family fabric’ and noted that it has resulted in a spike in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases.
Speaking at an event to commemorate 16 Days Of Activism against GBV, Monday, at a local hotel, Minister Ncube noted that it is important for families to teach the value of respect for humanity in order to curb violence.
The commemorations, were being hosted by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development under the theme, “Orange the world, Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect.”
Minister Ncube said today’s society is marred with loss of respect for humanity, especially towards women, which has resulted in a rise in GBV cases.
“The loss of family fabric has resulted in a steep rise in the level of abuse, especially against women. We need to revert, as a society, to the time when we used to teach our children the value of humanity. If our children fail to understand such values at an early stage, it becomes difficult to convince them at a later age of the importance of maintenance of peace within families,” said Minister Ncube.
“Many families have been left broken as both men and women have been affected by GBV alike, leaving a trail of pain behind.The fight against GBV is not a one man job but takes every individual to play a part in bringing an end to it. We all need to make our contributions to address it.”
Meanwhile, Thubelihle Ncube, the Legal and Advocacy Assistant Officer at Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), who delivered a solidarity message at the commemorations, said the issue of GBV is one pandemic that has stood the test of time, longer than any other pandemic globally.
She said instead of fighting the violence, more forms of abuse keep mushrooming, the most latest being the issue of ‘Sextortion.’
“Sextortion is one form of abuse that has become very popular. Although both men and women fall victim to it, research shows that the latter are the most affected. Women get solicited for sexual favors in exchange for marks at school, jobs, promotions or at times certain positions in church,” Ncube said.
“Policymakers need to look closely into this issue. For the longest time, it has been ongoing and no attention has been paid to it. As we deliberate on physical abuse, emotional abuse and psychological abuse, we also need to give equal efforts to the issue of sextortion.”
