(2012–2015) which seeks to improve the efforts of government, civil society and donors to prevent and respond to GBV through a multi-sectoral, effective and coordinated response. In addition to the above programmes, the government also reviewed and brought into effect the Protocol on the Multi-Sectoral Management of Sexual Abuse and Violence in Zimbabwe (Protocol). The Protocol highlights the roles and responsibilities of the various role players in the management of sexual violence. Despite these progressive laws, programmes and policies, several challenges remain with survivors of gender- based violence facing violations at community levels and institutional level which according to the findings of the ZDHS demonstrate that despite efforts from various government ministries, only 2.7 percent girl survivors received professional services and 20 percent of women survivors sought help. The constraints include lack of critical professionals available to support child survivors. Zimbabwe’s legal system is adversarial in nature and litigants require legal representation. Many of the professionals engaging with survivors of sexual violence have not received specialist training, nor are they professionally supported and supervised. Violation of survivor’s rights at the community level is being supported by traditional and cultural attitudes that permit and promote the use of violence against women and girls while viewing women’s rights as inferior. The situation is aggravated by the rights holders who might have information about gender-based violence but lack the assertiveness and fear of breaking up family relations. The situation is made complex by community-based duty bearers who are traditional leaders who have limited knowledge of gender-based violence and sometimes adjudicate on gender-based violence matters yet they do not have jurisdiction to hear them. The rights of survivors are also violated at the institutional level when they seek justice but the courts are not accessible and survivors cannot afford transport and accommodation costs to attend courts. For example, in a study conducted by Nenjerama P. in 2011 titled ‘The Lack of Training on the part of officers working with a girl child victim of rape compromises the way they handle child rape matters’. The time that the courts take to complete the cases can result in abandonment of cases. The violation of the rights of survivors is made worse by lack of coordination in service delivery by role players in the Protocol resulting in the support being provided on paper being nonexistent. To ensure that girls, young women and children would access comprehensive and efficient services, the three partners used the following models: • • Capacity building of adolescent leaders (both male and female), and community paralegals (male and female adults). These were trained to provide basic legal services at community level and to disseminate information on the services that are available to fight gender-based violence. Lobby and advocacy skills: Once the adolescent leaders were trained, they were expected to use the information to hold duty bearers like the police, prosecutors and probation officers accountable by demanding their own rights and the rights of others.