By Christine Chiromo
As the world retreated inside homes due to the lockdown measures introduced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, reports showed an alarming increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women.
Gweru youth coach, Olga Nkala said accompanying the crisis has been a spike in domestic violence reporting, at exactly the time that services, including rule of law, health and shelters, were being diverted to address the pandemic.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicked off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until Human Rights Day on 10 December. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
“From existing cases, GBV affects everyone male, female, young or old. Gone are the days when we used to say stop gender based violence against women as it is now cutting across ass social spheres,”Nkala added.
In support of this civil society initiative, stakeholders call for global actions to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations.
