Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Care for Nature Zambia Executive Director Nsama Musonda Kearns has observed that pandemics such as covid-19 and natural disasters such as floods and drought affects food security at household level which causes hunger that leads to women and girls being abused and sexually attacked during their long walks in search for food, water and wood for energy.
Ms. Kearns noted with concern that a lot of children especially in the rural areas, drop out of school due to forced marriages, unplanned pregnancies or search for domestic jobs to supplement their livelihoods.
She charged that there is urgent need to mainstream climate change in sexual and gender based violence awareness because there is a strong connection.
Ms. Kearns says there is also need to strengthen child participation in activism because they are the ones that are affected the most.
Ms. Kearns says there need to coordinate efforts to end defilement, sexual harassment and all forms of violence against children and appealed to government and other stakeholders to promote and create safe spaces for children to participate in decision making and policy processes especially on issues that directly affects them such as climate change and gender based violence.
She said this in view of the commemoration to mark the 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
