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Press Release : Stop Violence Against Women & Children

A Young women's dialogue held prior to Womens day this year brought together young women activists and feminists  to reflect on this year’s women’s day theme and explore ways in which they can amplify their powers by working collectively in creating social change. The dialogue was supported and faciliated by Youth Vision Zambia and JASS S.ADuring the dialogue a press release on GBV was written and published on 8th March 2012 in the Zambia's local newspaper the post. Read on...................

Press Release

The increase of gender based violence (GBV) cases in Zambia is alarming. With over 11,000 cases of GBV recorded country wide in 2011, gender based violence which has been identified as a significant driver of  HIV infections in Zambian women, not only affects the victims themselves who are often women and girls, but their families, communities and societies at large .

As young women activists we are profoundly concerned about the escalating cases of violence against women in the country and as we commemorate International Women’s Day 2012, we are calling for more political commitment towards the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.

Government, civil society and the public must take affirmative action to ensure that women are protected from all form s of violence and deliver a strategy to guarantee all women the right to live free from violence.

As young women activists we are demanding for:

·        The creation of fast track gender based violence victim friendly courts.

·        Deliberate measures that will specifically address stigma and discrimination of victims of gender based violence.

·        The creation of gender based violence recovery units in all major hospitals, in all districts with trained personnel.

·        Practical enforcement of the law surrounding GBV so as to dissuade would be perpetrators of GBV.

·        The harmonization of the Anti Gender Based Violence Act of 2011 with the penal code for effective penalization of perpetrators.

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contact person : Chanda Buumba Katongo

Gender Programs & Advocacy Officer,

Youth Vision Zambia

0977 487048 / 0966487048/+260 211233616

info@yvz.org.zm              www.yvz.org.zm

Cross the Line with Us.

They say...a woman should not cross over from teary eyes to regain strength

She must stay on the side of the line even after rape, betrayal, lover’s abuse

So that she must be called ABUSED!

She must stay victimized and disrespected

To earn a place on a pedestal so that she can be called sexy

And left to go insane with expectations about her femininity

She must remain waiting for words of appreciation and affirmation that never come

Waiting for equal pay, equal say and equal opportunities that never come

Waiting for acknowledgement and not judgement

And when achieving any place of power, reduced only to the line that dictates how much she should be empowered

We say...she must walk, she must run, she must fight and go that extra mile

She must deconstruct the system and break down the barriers

Challenge the aggression and free herself from oppression

For she must take back the power

And together...we are women crossing the line