Editorial Comment: Eradicating GBV in society-everyone’s responsibility

Gender-based violence is a violence phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality, and continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies. In other words, both men and women experience this form of violence that in most cases is directed against person basing on gender.
Quite a number of factors among them gender stereotyping, patriarchal hegemony notions embedded in societal norms, values and customs; religious beliefs perpetuate this kind of violence that has of late become more prevalent among young women and girls.
The violence takes various forms among them physical, psychological, sexual, social and or even economic and has got far reaching consequences with the already vulnerable groups like poor women, women and girls who are HIV positive being at the receiving end of the scourge.
So much has taken place in Zimbabwe during the course of the 2021 calendar, with the death while giving birth of 15 year-old Anna Machaya at a Johanne Marange shrine at Bocha in Manicaland province being just a tip of the iceberg.
Musasa Hotline recorded 764 cases of GBV during the first 11 days of the Covid-19 lockdown that began on March 29, 2020, a figure way above the 500-600 recorded a month prior to that.
Great strides have been made by several movements on various platforms and for a to arrest the menace but the recurrence of the new societal ill (GBV) is a worrisome development and thus act as a wake-up call to all stakeholders and responsible citizens to take charge and play a role to that effect.
Despite having such facilities like the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and even police’s Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) among other responsible authorities, the question that still needs to be addressed: Is the ordinary person aware of the channels to be followed in case of being a victim or ignorance may take precedence for the vulnerable folk.
Educating the marginalised communities as well as effective information dissemination would go a long way in helping address some of the shortcomings that have opened lee ways into continued perpetration of GBV.
Every organisation whose interests revolves around the protection of the interests of humanity should take charge this time around when the world commemorates the 16 days against GBV and thus ensure it will not be matter of ticking boxes as something done annually but bring about change for the betterment of a community.