By Shalom Shawurwa
The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) closed this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a high-level dialogue calling for stronger access to justice for survivors of technology facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
The meeting, held under the theme “Advancing Gender Justice in Zimbabwe: Addressing Barriers in the Digital Age,” focused on moving beyond awareness-raising and towards practical interventions including a time-bound joint action plan and a formal communiqué to guide coordinated national efforts.
WCoZ chairperson Muchanyara Mukamuri expressed alarm over the persistence of child marriage despite amended laws clarifying consent to sex and marriage.
“After the harmonisation of laws on consent to sex and consent to marriage, we still witness girls being forced into marriage. Parents are accepting this yet no one has been sentenced,” she said.
Representatives from Padare and Fathers Against Abuse offered solidarity messages highlighting the importance of supporting survivors, educating men and boys and strengthening accountability among men.
Chief Director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Lillian Matsika said Government continues to implement the high-level political commitments signed by the President to combat gender-based violence.
She urged an evaluation of progress, legal frameworks and institutional processes to ensure that interventions are effective.
“It starts with you to break the silence, it starts with me. It takes all of us to ensure we create a Zimbabwe where women live in dignity and are safe in every sphere where they want to participate,” Matsika said.
She added that gender and GDP considerations have been integrated into the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and encouraged stakeholders to align their proposed actions accordingly to strengthen accountability.
She commended the work of police and cyber-crime units including the development of a TFGBV training module and called for deeper partnerships with government agencies and the national statistics office to improve gender-responsive data.
She reminded participants that despite the visibility generated during the 16-day campaign, the fight against gender-based violence must extend throughout the year urging collective responsibility to ensure women and girls can live in safety, dignity and freedom.
