Govt urged to operationalize the Gender Based Violence fund

The Zambia National Men’s Network for Gender and Development (ZNMNGD) has urged government to operationalize the Gender Based Violence (GBV) fund which is meant to assist survivors of GBV and speed up the establishment of the shelters as enshrined in the GBV Act of 2011.

In a statement ahead of the commemoration of the 2022 International Women’s Day which falls tomorrow, Organisation National Coordinator, Nelson Banda says it is concerning that despite the existence of the GBV Act passed in 2011; past governments have failed to implement the law which created the GBV survivors’ fund since.

Mr. Banda says the quarterly release of GBV statistics by the Zambia Police Service provides enough evidence for the establishment of the GBV Fund as a matter of urgency.

He has since urged the New Dawn Government to set up the fund to enable more survivors of Gender Based Violence access justice and deal with the trauma of the vice.

Meanwhile Mr. Banda has demanded that the government enacts legislation that will compel political parties to adopt women on an equitable scale as enshrined in the SADC and other international protocols in order to enhance the participation of women in governance and leadership.

Zambia will tomorrow join the rest of the World in commemorating the 2022 International Women’s Day under the theme, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.