Youths urged to join fight against GBV

PAWA initiative Projects Officer, Shitemi Khamadi

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has urged youths and other young citizens to raise their voices in the fight against gender based violence and issues to do with sexual abuse and violence.

Speaking in an interview with Q-News, Programmes Development Secretary,Daniel Phiri says youths need to be influential and voice out their grief and opinions if they are to help in tackling issues to do with gender based violence and sexual abuse and violence.

He has also encouraged youths to utilize various platforms like the YMCA to voice out on issues that affect them psychologically, physically and socially.

Mr Phiri adds that YMCA has partnered with organisations such PAWA, CO-Exist and POWER SPACE and media institutions through an initiative called A REAL MAN IS  meant to advocate for and sensitize on  issues to do with sexual reproduction and gender based violence.

He explains that this initiative through various media platforms and organizations will help to combat these problems that have existed for a long time.

And speaking in a separate interview, PAWA initiative Projects Officer, Shitemi Khamadi says the issues to do with gender based violence should not be left to women alone, noting that both men and women are perpetrators.

Mr. Khamadi says gender based violence has negative effects that can affect sectors of the society.

He has since urged both men and women across different sectors of the society to help in the fight against gender based and all issues to do with sexual violence in the hope of building a safer and productive environment for the future.