Zimbabwe Gender Commission to train 600 traditional chiefs on GBV prevention

By Auther Chimbgwa

Six hundred local traditional leaders are set to undergo some training on how to tackle rampant cases of gender-based violence that are rife within their communities, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has said.

At a media conference which coincided with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC)’s 10th year anniversary on Friday, chairperson Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe said the programme shall be implemented by her organisation while working in partnership with the United Nations Spotlight Initiative.

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Mukahanana-Sangarwe also said ZGC is also supporting traditional leaders to implement community by-laws against child marriage.

“…These community by-laws have led to the rescue of over 340 girls since 2020,” said the gender Commission boss, adding that the girls were variously being subjected to child marriages and other gender based violence related issues.

Mukahanana-Sangarwe said ZGC is also hosting Male Engagement Symposiums annually in efforts aimed towards creating platforms for men and boys to become allies in gender justice.

“Cases in which men and boys are subjected to gender violence are rife in Zimbabwe. However, they are few and far between as a result of the fact that men and boys are not supposed, as per culture, to ‘cry’; it’s only women who complain. So, these cases eventually fail to come to light,” she said.

Mukahanana-Sangarwe also lamented that only 22 percent of women in remote areas accessed GBV resources or services.

“Our electoral system continues to perpetuate under representation of women in parliament and local governance,” she said while calling on the government to expedite processes aimed at the enactment of a Gender Equality Bill and to dedicate 10 percent of the national budget to gender programming.

She implored the media to deepen coverage of under-reported issues like workplace violence, harassment and customary law barriers.

“To citizens, I would like, at this juncture, to urge them to challenge harmful practices and report violations,” Mukahanana-Sangarwe said.

She said that the House of Gender Equality was not just a building.

“It is a symbol of permanence, progress, and purpose, showing that the ZGC is a going concern,” the chairperson said.

She added: “Let us continue building this house – together – brick by brick, story by story, until no woman, man is left behind, no girl, no boy is silenced; and no community is forgotten.”

The Zimbabwe Gender Commission was officially launched on 3 September 2015 with the appointment of nine inaugural commissioners by the then President Robert Mugabe who laid the institutional foundation of the Commission’s work, with Mukahanana-Sangarwe as its chairperson.

ZGC was created to promote gender equality, investigate gender rights violations, monitor compliance with gender laws, and advise on policy and legislative reforms.

It was formed under Chapter 12 of the of the Constitution as one of the independent commissions supporting democracy in Zimbabwe. It became fully operational through the ZGC Act (Chapter 10:31) in 2016.