NOEL IYOMBWA writes
@SunZambian
THE revelation by the United Nations Chief, António Guterres, that the world is witnessing a surge in domestic violence directed towards women and girls linked to the lockdowns imposed by governments to contain the spread of COVID 19 pandemic is worrying and speaks to men and boys to prevent domestic violence.
Zambia National Men’s Network for Gender and Development National Coordinator, Nelson Banda has said.
Mr Banda is saddened that women are beginning to deal with the additional burdens of facing the dehumanizing effects of domestic violence in their own homes at a time when families need to forge solidarity to fight COVID 19 which is the worst health catastrophe in the history of humanity as the pandemic ravages untold suffering across the global.
He said that the disease has brought a lot of pressure on both women and men as a result of shifts in lifestyles such as loss of employment as part of prevention measures coupled by lockdown thus compelling most men to stay at home which might trigger domestic violence due to stress.
“This notwithstanding because violence against women and girls must never be justified or allowed whatever the circumstances.
“Zambia should draw lessons from countries where incidents of domestic violence have been reported in the wake of the COVID 19 so that we can act together to prevent domestic violence like noted by the UN Chief, COVID 19 has brought about a combination of economic and social stresses through income losses arising from job cuts, as well as restrictions on movement.
“We therefore wish to appeal to men in the country to take the health restrictions positively to safe guard the lives of their families and avoid engaging in domestic violence against women and girls in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic by saying ‘My wife and children are safe from COVID 19 and GBV with me at home’,” he said.
He stated that men have got the power and influence to prevent violence in homes and communities by talking to other men and also being role models to their boy children that they equally have a role to defend women and girls rights in all circumstances.
Mr Banda explained that as an advocacy organization working with Men and Boys to address sexual and gender-based violence it is stepping up its activities of reaching out to men and boys with sensitization messages against domestic violence using platforms such as Radio, Television and Social media to ensure that women and girls ’rights are not violated during this period of lockdowns.
