Rising cases of GBV cases in Kapiri worries Govt

Rising cases of GBV cases in Kapiri  worries Govt

Kapiri Mposhi, 4 July 2013, ZANIS – A senior government official is saddened by the increase in Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases against women being recorded in Kapiri Mposhi district.

Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner Beatrice Sikazwe described the violence being perpetrated against women and girls in the district as cruel and degrading.

ZANIS reports that Ms. Sikazwe said this today when she visited Juliana Paipi, a 32-year-old woman of Chisengamang’a village in Kapiri Mposhi who is battling for her life in Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital where she has been admitted for four days now.

Mrs. Paipi was admitted after her husband brutally beat her up for refusing to have sex with him.

And on Tuesday a 52-year-old woman of Mutesha Village in Chief Mukonchi’s area was beaten to death by her husband following a marital quarrel.

The deceased identified as Maureen Musonda sustained fractured legs, arms and a deep cut on her forehead.

Her body is lying in Kapiri Mposhi district Hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem.

Police have since arrested the two men and charged them with assault and murder respectively.

They will appear in court soon.

Ms. Sikazwe pointed out that some men have taken advantage of the economic dependence of the women folk on them to perpetrate violence against them (women).  

She has called on the members of the public to be vigilant and report all forms of GBV going on in their areas noting that most cases go unreported.

And Ms. Sikazwe has called for renewed approaches to fighting women’s rights violations in the country.

The DC noted that regardless of the efforts being implemented to fight GBV in society the cases of GBV have continued to rise and claiming lives of some women.

 “It is sad that Gender Based Violence  and defilement cases continue to rise in the face of efforts by government and NGOs does this mean we are not doing something right, we need to revise our approach before our women and girl children are decimated”, Ms. Sikazwe said.

She challenged the church and Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) operating in the district to come out and condemn GBV and defilement.

Ms. Sikazwe also appealed to the courts of law to mete out maximum sentences against perpetrators of GBV cases to serve as a lesson and in order to deter would be offenders.