Zambia has highest gender based violence cases in southern Africa

Gender Links has revealed that Zambia has the highest cases of gender based violence (GBV) in southern Africa.

Gender Links Board Member Sarah Lungwe said this is so because of violent acts perpetrated by most men in Zambia.

Ms. Lungwe said Botswana is second, Zimbabwe third, South Africa fourth while Mauritius is at the bottom of the GBV records.

She was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today on the sidelines of the ongoing national GBV indicator survey training workshop in Lusaka.

The 16 days of gender activism, which started on November 25 ends today December 10, 2013.

Ms. Lungwe said 90 percent of women have been GBV victims and one in every three women was battered by her close relation, husband or boyfriend.

She added that 72 percent of males have admitted beating up their wives and girlfriends.

She has since regretted that Zambia is standing out as the most violent country despite being known as an oasis of peace in the southern African region.

Ms. Lungwe said the situation was worsened by some frustrated female GBV victims who do not reporting the cases to relevant institutions.

She said women must voice out against GBV so as to achieve the zero GBV tolerance stance.

Ms. Lungwe said both women and men need to promote zero tolerance on all forms of violence against women and work towards the eradication of traditional practices that were harmful to women and girls.

She however commended government and its partners for the strides the country was making to address GBV.

And speaking in a separate interview, Child Rights and Gender Focal Point Officer Annie Sampa said the workshop was timely as more information would be gathered to seal off the gaps on the high GBV cases in the country.

Ms. Sampa disclosed that a recent pilot report jointly conducted in Lusaka, Kitwe, Kasama and Mansa by Gender Links, UNICEF and government through the Ministry of Gender and Child Development shows alarming proportions of GBV cases.