National Values and Principles Ambassador Judith Mwila has said the organization is working hard to ensure that information is reached in typical rural areas in the sensitization of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child early marriages.
Ms. Mwila noted that GBV related information is hard to be taken to rural areas because people can hardly acquire basic Media platforms such Television and a Radio set in these areas.
“Sensitization has been going on and we have taken it upon ourselves to ensure information is going into the very typical areas in collaboration with other partners who will give information to the rural areas so that people can understand the issues relating to GBV and Child marriages,” Ms. Mwila said.
She said the Organisation is also working closely with the Traditional leaders in the rural areas in sensitizing and educating the subjects on GBV and child marriages of various chiefdoms.
Ms. Mwila also noted that the increase in divorce cases can be attributed to couples not undergoing Marital Counselling.
She however encouraged couples who are going through marital problems to undergo counseling before dissolving their marriages.
She was reacting to the State of the Nation Address by President Edgar Lungu today on morality and ethics.
Yesterday, President Edgar Lungu expressed concern with the declining morals and ethics in the country, citing Gender Based Violence (GBV) as one of the vices affecting the success of applying national values and principles.
Presidents Lungu explained that GBV, rape and defilement are among the vices that undermine the health, dignity and self-esteem of victims, thus should not be allowed to continue.
The Head of State disclosed that according to the United Nations Development Programme Human Development report 2020, on Zambia, the percentage of violence against women ever experienced from an intimate partner among the female population aged between 15 and older stands at 45.9 percent..
President Lungu indicated that the statistics are too high which can have a negative impact on national development, thereby stressing the need to address the issue.
“Acts of violence suffered by some of our people, especially, women and children these days are appalling. In some cases these criminal acts have, unfortunately, resulted in deaths,” President Lungu stated.
Speaking when he addressed the nation on the progress made in the application of national values and principles, President Lungu revealed that government and other stakeholders have continued to conduct countrywide public awareness and sensitisation campaigns.
The President stated that through these campaigns, more people have been made aware that such acts are inhuman and punishable by law, which has encouraged people to report GBV cases and child defilement to relevant authorities.
He added that the establishment of gender-based violence fast-track courts in Lusaka, central, Eastern, Copperbelt, Southern and Western Provinces has contributed to the speedy disposal of cases.
The Head of State urged the victims as well as the public not to shy away from reporting GBV cases, as doing so will not help the victims get justice.
President Lungu stated that the more people come out and report the vice, the more the perpetrators will be exposed and punished, hence will act as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators.
He further stressed the need for every citizen to participate in rendering assistance to victims of GBV as well as child defilement, saying that the victims need help.
“They deserve our help. We all have a moral duty to support and heal victims of gender-based violence and defilement. We must end gender-based violence and defilement,” President Lungu indicated.
He commended the traditional leaders, the church, civil society, and the media for being instrumental in encouraging people to report cases of GBV and other vices which is helping abandon the culture of silence.
President Lungu stressed the need to reaffirm the commitment and continue with the good work towards ending GBV and child defilement in society.
In the last four years, over 85,000 cases of gender- based violence were reported across the country. In 2017, a total number of 21,504 cases were reported, while cases reported in 2018 were 22,073, and 25,504 cases in 2019. And by the third quarter of 2020, 17,089 cases had been reported.
It is not just villages. Even in diaspora I know of a lot of zambian men and women who are being abused by their foreign partners abroad but have no recourse for help . Most are financially dependent on these partners who took them abroad and cannot tell on them to authorities. So they come on LT and release their frustrations on pf government
Diaspora don’t vote in Zambian erections. Only those women without facemasks vote for even !diots like Lusambo and Kaizer who go about beating them in that Sh!t of Lusaka.
Nostra what you are saying doesn’t even make sense. I am a civil servant who does not get voted into any position. You are a good example of what i am talking about. You are constantly angry. Is your obese wlfe attacking you. You can tell me
Zambian missions are all over the Globe, please our Dear diaspora women report GBV to local authorities if no ACTION TRY OUR ZAMBIAN MISSION.