Multimedia strategy to tackle gender based violence in Zimbabwe

The government of Zimbabwe is developing a national multimedia strategy to harmonise messages on preventing gender based violence, family planning, cervical cancer screening and HIV prevention.

This effort is being supported by the United Nations Population Fund and civil society organizations through a new integrated support programme for sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention and gender based violence in Zimbabwe.

As 43% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical and sexual violence in Zimbabwe, it is a programme that is long overdue.

A UN spokesperson said: “The overall goal is the improvement of women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health.”

A priority of the programme is to reduce tolerance for gender based violence in the community and as a result there should be increased use of integrated HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health and gender based violence services.

Activities include raising community awareness of gender responsive laws and mechanisms, as well as women’s rights. The programme aims to reach at least 1 million people, through a variety of means and channels appealing to both young and adult populations.

“These include community based edutainment using drama, song, radio programmes, distribution of print materials, home visits by trained behaviour change facilitators and the use of social media,” said the UN spokesperson.

More support will also be coming from the government of Denmark, which has revealed it will be renewing its long term partnership with Zimbabwe and will prioritise its contribute reducing gender based violence.

A Danish Embassy spokesperson said: “We are currently in the process of formulating a new Denmark-Zimbabwe partnership programme for 2013-2015. The increased size and budget of the new partnership programme is a testament of our continued support to development in this country.

“We do this through support to projects and programmes which address specific needs and concerns of women exposed to gender based violence. However, we also address the issue of gender based violence through other development programmes such as the equal access to justice programme. In this way we trust that our efforts will be far reaching.”

Gender based violence remains a wide spread problem in many societies in the world, and it is estimated that globally over 70% of women experience physical or sexual violence during their life.