Africanews
In most parts of Africa women are still undergoing the home violence which was normal in a traditional set-up. The women themselves now condone these violence to show their determination in upholding of culture; and men alike are hiding behind such words as "tradition" as their sole reason for this type of violence. The truth is that these tradition has long changed. Why then maintain such violence? |
Zambian national media television debate recently revealed startling gross perpetration of violence against women as compared to their menfolk. Statistics given by police spokesman Francis Musonda indicate that, of the 94 people murdered between 1994 and 1995, 84 of the victims were women.
For a long time the feature of violence against women has and is still prevalent in the Zambian society despite some important strides made to break through the traditional barriers and turn a new leaf to accord parity status to the womenfolk.
This effort has not yet reached anywhere close to gender balance because the public, and women in particular, in most cases hide behind marriages to allow the proliferation of violence in their midst by withholding information related to violence from the police.
In the words of the police "between 1994 and 1995, a record of 94 murders were registered out of these 84 were women while the rest were men. Such a number of murders raises a lot of questions as to whether people have value for life".
It seems that people in Zambia still believe husbands are obliged to beat their wives whenever they make a mistake. This sort of thinking has distorted everything in our quest to end violence against women.
Women are now than ever before being urged to develop a culture of reporting violence against them to the police in order for law enforcement agencies to bring sanity to perpetrators of violence, be it a relative, husband or any such predators.
Contributing to the same palaver Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) Drop In Center Coordinator, Patricia Malash, added gloomy picture of the women situation in Zambia when she told the nation that out of the 50 cases of violence received by his organization on a weekly basis, 15 were against women.
"These are worrying statistics which with heightened education debates, hopefully, should help our men to reverse the animosity approach to issues concerning women's status. We have solicited the support of the police to help fight for the cause of women and arrest the situation.
Contrary to assertions by the gender emancipation propagators, a traditionalist Mr Pardon Katongo on the same pannel accused women of dramatizing their cases saying the complaints were out of proportion.
He argues that "these cases of wife beating have been in existence since time immemorial and wondered why now the women should draw so much attention. In fact traditionally a wife who has never been beaten is never loved because beating is a way of reforming someone".
Men look at women as people who at every fora are seen to be exaggerating issues affecting them through misinterpretation of their rights. The men feel police should get down to the root cause of the beatings instead of being one sided.
But to prove that the women are not looking back, Liberal Progressive Front vice president for development Rosemary Malumo boasted of Zambia leading in the sensitization of women for their rights in the region and emphasized that tradition could not turn women into slaves of their husbands.
Strengthening the women fight for gender balance courts have adopted a hard-line stance by imposing heavy custodial sentences on men violating the rights of the weaker sex.
Reuben Phiri fell victim to a heavy penalty when he raped a 50 year old woman. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour. The accused on the material date waylaid the woman, punched her on the face forcing the woman to the ground and pinned her there until he had sex with the complainant after a long struggle.
Passing sentence Kitwe Magistrate Phabious Numbwa warned that courts would not spare men who behaved like wild animals especially with the increase of Aids cases.
On the same line of gender development only 21 of the 54 African countries that attended the 1995 Beijing Women's Conference in China have implemented the resolutions that were passed with Zambia ranking among the defaulting countries.
Briefing pressmen in Lusaka acting Director of the Multinational Programme and Operational Center for Eastern and Southern Africa (MULPOC), a wing of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Mr. Samuel Ochola named eleven countries as having committed themselves to implementation of the resolutions in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region which he heads.
"Very few countries, especially in Africa have taken the resolutions of the Beijing Conference to the implementation. This explains why we are holding a sub-regional conference to find ways of implementing the resolutions.
The host country Zambia was among the nations that had not responded to the platform resolutions of action that women worldwide adopted to enhance their rights and rules in development.
In a show of solidarity more than fourteen countries had prior to the meeting date confirmed their participation in the conference which was to come up with those to represent the sub-region at the continental conference to review the Beijing resolution.
Gender Activist Gladys Mutukwa described the lack of parity and marginalisation of women in politics as worrying and challenged the women to stand up and take action if their problems were to be resolved.
She went on to lament that despite women constituting 52 per cent of the Zambian population, they were largely marginalised and only had fractional representation in the major decision making process.
Mrs. Mutukwa noted that out of 158 members of parliament only 7 were women and out of 23 cabinet ministers only 2 were women while there were only eight permanent secretaries out of 35 and only 2 ambassadors out of 28 appointees as well as 26 female councilors out of 1,300.
These statistics show that major decisions are being made without much input from the women, Zambia cannot claim to be democratic when women who are a majority have little say in decision making, more women are needed to be in power.
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