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Youth Forum joins the rest of the world in commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence
Youth Forum
November 26, 2013

View this article on the Youth Forum website

The Youth Forum joins Zimbabwe and the rest of the world in commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign continues with the theme “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women!” in 2013.

The 16 Days Campaign will focus on three priority areas while underlining the intersections of economic and social rights with militarism and gender-based violence: 1) Violence Perpetrated by State Actors: State actors use the threat or act of violence to maintain or attain power; 2) Domestic Violence and the Role of Small Arms; 3) Sexual Violence During and After Conflict.

These are the 16 days between International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) and International Human Rights Day (10 December) to reinforce the fact that eliminating all forms of violence against women is a human rights issue, and that the act of perpetrating violence against women is a human rights violation. The 16 day period marks various dates which have a strong link to Gender Based Violence.

The matter of women being subjected to violence and discriminated from the access to education and other important resources like land and minerals and basic human rights is no news to Zimbabwe.

For a long time women in Zimbabwe has been subjected to all forms of discrimination and gender based violence.

The Youth Forum would however, like to commend the Zimbabwean government for their significant efforts in ending the gender discrimination and gender-based violence.

Though mostly perceived as a private matter, evidence has proven Gender Based Violence to be a serious threat to women’s health and development and an issue affecting women all over the world.

Studies conducted by the World Bank and GBC Wealth concluded violence against women to be as serious a cause of death and incapacity amongst women of reproductive age as leading causes of injury such as traffic accidents, and is a greater cause of ill health than cancer and malaria put together (World Bank, 1993, GBC Wealth 2011).

As Youth Forum we believe that women and men must have equal opportunities to generate and manage income is an important step toward realizing women’s rights, as stated under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This would also enhance their development, self-esteem, and influence both within the household and in society (UNICEF, 2007).

As Youth Forum we think improving women’s economic rights requires long-term strategies aimed at challenging the prevailing structures. The multifaceted nature of economic abuse requires the involvement of government and stakeholders at all levels.

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