Police letting down GBV victims- discussion participants

Participants of a training session currently being held in Bulawayo which is meant to discuss and find ways on how to end gender based violence have called on the police to do more in helping Gender Based Violence (GBV) victims.

Some participants say in some instances, victims of GBV have been ordered by police to bring the perpetrators as they claim not to have enough resources to go and pick the culprit(s).

Some of those who contributed to the discussion say the society has for long described women as primary caregivers, adding that this confines some women to roles of housewives while men enjoy more powerful roles in the society.

Another participant urged men who suffer from GBV in their homes to speak up and seek help.

“Imagine you would have been beaten by your husband then you get to the police and they tell you they don’t have enough resources.

“They tell you to go back home and get your husband (the one who beat you) and bring them to the police,” one participant said.

Speaking during the event, Prisca Dube of ZLHR Lawyers says all members of the police should be trained on dealing with issues of Gender Based Violence and not wait for the victim friendly unit to deal with issues of GBV.

Addressing participants, Provincial Development Coordinator of Byo Metropolitan Affairs in the Ministry of Women Affairs, said GenderBasedViolence emanates from power dynamics between two genders, in a position where one party is or feels more powerful than another.

She added that sometimes in family setups in-laws try to talk a victim out of reporting because they would be protecting their relative from going to prison which leaves the victim more exposed to violence.

A call has also been made for journalists to do much in exposing the social ill.

However, one of the issues pointed out is that it is hard to get to the perpetrator hence some of the strategies are to communicate with their lawyer and the aspect of going under cover which is also risky.

-Zwnews