3.5 Advocacy 3.5.1 Community dialogues as a weapon to reduce GBV Preventing GBV and protecting survivors of it would only succeed with the involvement of the family, traditional leaders and religious leaders. ‘’The project used community dialogue to engage duty bearers at local level, ‘’ said Doreen Makaza, the Bindura District Ward Development Coordinator with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development This started with the training of 90 traditional leaders on child protection and women rights laws such as the Domestic Violence Act, traditional court procedures and jurisdiction. The traditional leaders admitted that child marriage was rife in their communities. They agreed to engage people in their respective communities to end child marriage. Makaza said: “They then worked with the CFPs in their communities in organising community dialogues where other stakeholders such as Ministry of Women Affairs and Registrar General officials participated.’’ About 596 community leaders and traditional leaders in Bindura, Makoni and Beitbridge districts participated during the community dialogues. These dialogues became even stronger and productive after the Constitutional Court ruling outlawing child marriage. In Bindura, for instance, Chief Musana and Headman Chiveso are working together to end child marriage in line with the constitution and the ruling. In the same district, JCT partnered with the Ministry of Women Affairs to facilitate a dialogue for 56 village heads as well as three headmen. At the dialogues, the traditional leaders pledged to improve the situation of girls to reduce child marriages. In Makoni female Headman Nyambiya is working with her local people to end the scourge, which is also rampant in her area. 3.5.2 Traditional Leaders Step Up War Against Gender-Based Violence A typical day for Beitbridge Senior Headman Tshidiwa Moyo of Chamunanga area, starts when he moves around his area consulting the local communities on how they should work together in development. As an influential member of the community, people listen to him. Others pressure him to help them fight sexual abuse and gender-based violence, which, in this area, is fuelled mostly by economic challenges. Traditional leaders, as custodians of culture, and role models for their communities, are in a strong position to be able to address harmful cultural practices to promote the prevention of GBV and protection of survivors within their communities. Supporting and empowering traditional leaders with the knowledge and skills to assist their communities to address GBV through redressing harmful cultural practices, and promoting positive ones, will have a substantial impact in mitigating the challenge.