SADC unite against gender based violence

By Rebecca Chimjeka

Southern Africa Social Forum (SASF) participants have urged African leaders’ especially those from Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region to unite and have one voice against gender based violence.

The call was made at the opening of the sub-regional forum which is taking place in Lilongwe the capital city of Malawi.

Priscilla Mpundu of the Zambia Association for Research and Development (ZARD) said if the SADC leaders would only speak with one voice when they will no longer be any gender based violence on the sub-region.

“Zambia is facing a lot of gender based violence as the levels of rape incest are on the rise though our leaders have been involved in the signing and ratifying treaties which are not been followed. Our system starting from legislature executive, the judicially, as well as people themselves is being challenged with the high level of gender based violence,” said Mpundu.

She also said her association has been trying to lobby for the gender related bills to pass
in the Zambian parliament so that maybe the evil of violence can be minimised.

She added that women in SADC countries should continue to urge their governments to adhere to what they have been signing like the Convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC) and any other treaties concerning women and children rights.

“I want to see children and women in Zambia as well as in the sadic enjoying their rights to the fullest so that they can be able to go to school, and do their work freely,” said Mpundu.

Lillian Dindi from the Livingistonia Synod Aids Program who is also one of the person living with HIV/AIDS, said gender based violence can only be minimised in the country if peoples altitude would change.

“Malawi need to have tough laws in order to curb the gender based violence. Any type of violence is one way or another resulting to the spread of the HIV/AIDS since there is no security if somebody has been forced to have sex,” said Dindi.

She added that government through the judicially have failed a lot of Malawians especially women to bring down the gender based violence.

Malawi judicially has been lenient on the offenders of any type of voice on women.

She however suggested that 40 years imprisonment would be a better punishment for any violator of gender based violence saying that this would help to stop gender legated violence.

A Parliamentarian attending the social forum from Malawi said that it was unfortunate that gender based violence in Malawi is on the increase and that no solution has yet been found.

Boniface Kadzamila Member of Parlaiment of Lilongwe City Central said most of the violence which was being experienced by women and children in the country as well as the whole SADC countries was because of lack of discipline among the perpetuators of this violence.

He said the introduction of democracy in countries has also contributed to this violence since people thought democracy was to do with rights which can be abused.
He observed that time has come for politicians to look into the issue of gender based violence seriously.