Patriarchal societies have proved to harm most men from seeking help when they suffer physical, emotional and verbal abuse in their households, according to Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) 2022 Rural Livelihoods Assessment Matabeleland South Provincial report.
The report states that men are also victims of physical, emotional and economic abuse with the lack of assistance in some cases leading to grave consequences where victims end up committing suicide, inflicting harm on or even killing their spouses.
The ZimVAC report states that 6,9 percent of males that were interviewed in Matebeleland South reported having experienced spousal emotional abuse against 4,1 percent for females.
Speaking recently during a dissemination meeting, Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) programme officer, Alpha Ndlovu said 5,7 percent of males suffered economic abuse compared to 2,3 percent for females this year.
“The incidence of sexual abuse within a marriage setup for males was 1,4 percent and 1,5 percent for females, the incidence of physical abuse was 2,8 percent for males and 2,0 percent for females, the incidence of emotional abuse was 6,9 for males and 4,1 percent for females and for economic abuse the incidence rate was 5,7 percent for males and 2,3 percent for females,” he said.
Ndlovu added that, “Emotional abuse accounted for most incidences under spousal violence, followed by economic abuse, physical abuse and lastly sexual abuse, physical abuse was the highest form of gender-based violence within households in the province.”
He added that emotional abuse was high for both males and females while sexual abuse had the lowest reported incidences.
