Men in Rufunsa, Zambia Fight Against Gender Based Violence

By Laura Del Castillo Munera

Zambia National Men's Network for Gender and Development (ZNMNGD) is an organisation that promotes gender equality, and men’s and boys’ wellbeing through advocacy and capacity building, and advocates for the end of gender-based violence (GBV). Members of the ZNMNGD are from 13 villages in Chietainess Mpanshya' Chiefdom. These men, who are traditional leaders, and boys, have been trained on issues related to masculinity, sexual reproductive rights, and gender, with the end goal of ending GBV, including child marriages in their communities.

Recently, The ZNMNGD has noted that, although  they have seen progress in reducing sexual and gender-based violence through sensitisation activities in the Rufunsa district, there is a need for a magistrate court to strengthen the fight against GBV. The closest magistrate court that handles such cases is in Luangwa district, 160 Km away, which poses a challenge for the survivors of GBV due to transportation costs. Last year members of the ZNMNGD in the Rufunsa district presented a petition to the Ministry of Justice through the Ministry of Gender to establish a magistrate court.

Members within the district also inspired the formation of a gender committee to address and tackle GBV in the Kamwesha area, an isolated community 14 Km south of Rufunsa which has high incidences of child sexual abuse. Young girls marry men who are often conducting illegal mining activities and boys participate in sexual activities with women, many are travelling to the area to sell merchandise.

In order to address the problem of early marriages and other forms of violence in the area, the Zambia National Men's Network for Gender and Development are conducting 4 training workshops for traditional, community and religious leaders in Kamwesha, to build local capacity to deal with the problem at a grassroots level. 

Nelson Banda, National Coordinator