WUNRN
ZAMBIA - GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ACT
BUT NEED FOR IMPLEMENTATION, LEGAL REDRESS, WOMEN'S SHELTERS
Most survivors of gender-based
violence (GBV) continue to lack post-trauma care. Recent statistics given by
Deputy Minister of Gender and Child Development, Emerine Kabanshi, reveal that
available places of safety do not meet service demands of survivors. According
to Ms Kabanshi, last year 11,908 cases of gender-based violence occurred
countrywide.
The gloomy reality is that
only 2,170 cases were pursued for legal redress in the courts of law, hence
most survivors have been denied justice. Could it be the massive variation in
occurrence and reported figures are a result of survivors lacking moral support
in pursuit of justice?
Young Women’s Christian
Association (YWCA) is one organisation that offers post-trauma care through
survivors’ places of safety. However, this effort cannot match the recent
reported rise in cases of defilement, rape and domestic violence.
According to YWCA Executive
Director, Patricia Mphanza Ndhlovu, “it is imperative to have places of safety
that offer refuge to survivors especially in situations when a perpetrator is
at large and threatens a survivor’s life. For now, as a nation we are dealing
with gender based violence in a reactive and not proactive manner.”
YWCA since 1996 protects women
and children who have undergone physical or sexual abuse in its two shelters in
Lusaka and two others in Kasama and Kitwe.
“When the life of a survivor
is endangered by the perpetrator, we offer accommodation on temporary basis
until the victim testifies in court” says Ms Ndhlovu. While a survivor receives
refuge and other services such as legal and medical, psychological support
remains cardinal, particularly after a violent act.
In addition to that while
survivors are housed in the shelters, they are taken through counselling with
focus on reintegration into their communities. They also receive legal advice
and YWCA achieves this in close collaboration with Women and Law in Southern
Africa (WLSA).
No survivor foresees being
assaulted and when it happens many are too devastated and lack awareness on
avenues to take to access justice. Ms Ndhlovu stresses that it is generally
assumed that once the culprit is arrested and charged that meets the survivor’s
healing and continues enjoying normal life. This is far from the truth; the
survivor’s life is shattered and needs restoration in order to integrate back
to usual life.
The new Anti-GBV Act offers
protection of survivors, but cases abounds of instances where the victims are
bribed or threatened to drop the cases, especially in instances where the
perpetrator is a relative. These are situations that call for institutional
protection of survivors.
Part four compels the
government to put up and run centres of safety for child and adult survivors of
GBV using its resources.
Article 24 stipulates that the
minister responsible for social welfare shall:
(a) From
money appropriated by parliament for that purpose, establish and operate
shelters for victims; and
(b) Ensure an
appropriate spread of such shelters throughout Zambia.
Government is yet to set up
recovery and protection centres for GBV survivors. Take the case of Kenya that
has a leading gender violence recovery centre (GVRC) in Africa that draws its
success on continual support from the government, private companies and
well-wishers. Since its inception in 2001, the centre has provided free medical
care and counselling to over 20,000 GBV survivors.
The centre, which was
pioneered by Dr Sam Nthenya, founder of Nairobi Women’s Hospital, is a beacon
of hope in that it restores wholesome healing to survivors and their families.
The centre was pioneered after
realising the gap in the healthcare for women who have gone through sexual and
physical violence. The centre now serves as referral centre for sexual assault
cases in Kenya.
This is possible in Zambia only
if the private sector and government support the setting up and sustainability
of efforts to set up autonomous places of safety countrywide, this would ease
access for survivors who would eventually rebuild their lives.
As it is now, when a survivor
relocates, the staffs at the places of safety do not follow up due to the
limited resources. However, if such facilities were available in their new
location they could easily continue receiving care and support through a
referral system. Another problem is when there is an occurrence of repeat
abuses from the same perpetrator. In that scenario counselling is offered to
the couple and family in order to avoid further conflict.
Still, if more centres were
put up, more GBV survivors would be helped and the pattern of abuse would
drastically drop.
*The writer is a member of Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) currently hosted by Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA) under the Fredskorpset exchange programme