Part II: The Project
2.1. Introduction
JCT, ZWLA and WLSA in 2014 started implementing the Violence Against Women and
Girls (VAWG) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) project in Bindura, Makoni and Beitbridge
districts.
The project sought to strengthen responses to gender-based violence at community level
and to enhance service delivery and holistic support to survivors of GBV in line with the
Multil-Sectoral Protocol on the Management of Sexual Abuse in Zimbabwe (Protocol) and
the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Although implemented in just over one year, the project
managed to reach out to over 5,000 beneficiaries through the provision of legal aid which
was complemented by the empowerment of community focal persons, legal awareness
campaigns, dialogues with the local traditional leadership and the formation of
empowerment circles for GBV survivors. All the interventions were done at community
level, hence ensuring sustainable solutions to local issues.
The project sought to respond and strengthen community gender-based violence service
delivery and holistic support targeting adolescent girls and young women in line with the
Multi-Sectoral Protocol on the Management of Sexual Abuse in Zimbabwe and the
Constitution.
This project is drawn against one of government’s key focus on improve utilization of
comprehensive quality services for protection, care and support for GBV survivors in
accordance with the National Gender Based Violence Strategy. Gaps and challenges such
as poor service delivery, coverage, and human capacity competencies have crippled
comprehensive access to justice and support for survivors of GBV. Therefore this
project aims to mitigate the effects of gender based violence on adolescent girls and young
women by the provision of comprehensive survivor sensitive services in three selected
districts of Zimbabwe. Identified strategies will include capacity building, formation of
support groups targeting GBV survivors and offenders, evidence based data collection and
documentation, learning and sharing circles, gender-sensitive legal information centres and
decentralized access to legal services through the provision of legal aid mobile clinics to
complement government’s Legal Aid Directorate.
Zimbabwe has a strong legal framework to prevent all forms of gender-based violence. The
country’s constitution through Section 25(b) calls on the state to take measures to protect
gender-based violence. The constitutional provisions are supported by provisions in the
Domestic Violence Act (DVA) that was put in place to protect women, men and children
from violence, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the Criminal Procedure
and Evidence Act and the Children’s Act.
In addition to statutes, Zimbabwe has developed programmes that seek to address
prevention of gender-based violence including: 4Ps (Prevention, Protection, Participation
and Programmes) campaign on zero tolerance to GBV and the National GBV Strategy
Select target paragraph3
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