Canada in in Zimbabwe Gender equality March Canada in Zimbabwe Gender equality March Women, men, traditional rulers, faith leaders and parliamentarians are coming together to end gender-based violence in Zimbabwe. Stigma, impunity and silence have allowed this violence to continue.
Many fear the situation is actually escalating, not improving. Canada is an international champion for gender equality.
Child, early and forced marriages have devastating impacts on girls, families and communities. It is a violation of human rights and a barrier to sustainable development and peace. Some perpetrators are just arrested for a few days and are released, leaving the survivors even more vulnerable. Many members of parliament voiced their support and agreed that a multi sector response including healthcare, justice and education is required.
While there has been some recent progress in legislation, all agreed that more needs to be done. Living in a rural community often means girls have little knowledge of their rights and the value of gender equality is not widely understood. This leads to higher incidents of gender-based violence, including abuse, child marriage and early pregnancies.
The community raised the issues of poverty and lack of education. Poverty drives some parents to marry their children in exchange for food or money. Victims of rape are often forced to quit school after relatives discover they are pregnant. Talkmore Chandisaita was named Best Child Advocate for Gender Equality for his work standing up to gender inequality among his peers. When sexual violence does occur, The Bethany Project is there to provide support and resources for young women and girls in the Zvishavane district of Masvingo Province.
