The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat has called for an end to impunity violence against women and girls in the region.
Director of Gender and Social Affairs at COMESA Secretariat Mrs Emiliana Tembo says the increase in reported cases of violence against women and the girl child is worrying and stringent measures should be taken to cut this vice.
Her message is contained in a COMESA International Women’s Day Advocacy Note issued to commemorate the International Women’s Day which fell on March 8th.
“The print and electronic media is saturated with reports of gruesome acts of violence against girl-infants, girls-children and women. Violence against women by intimate partners; and sexual violence have become very common. These types of violence have become major public health problems in that they have been identified as attributes to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS, physical disabilities, mental problems, reproductive health problems, and unwanted pregnancies that often lead to unintended or unsafe abortions,” Mrs Tembo added.
She pointed out that acts of violence against women are also violations of women's human rights. Such acts are great challenges to achieving gender equality and empowerment of women as well as end to poverty in the region.
In order to connect girls and inspire the futures for these girls to become caring mothers, and effective leaders in both private and public spheres of society, the COMESA Gender division says there is need for strengthening school-based and home-based life-skills programmes to prevent violence among young people, as well as ending violence in the homes and communities.
The school programmes should also integrate cultural practices that promote mutual intra and inter-generation respect into their extra-curricular activities, irrespective of gender. Young boys and girls should also be mentored in negotiation skills so that they internalize the skill of negotiating situations rather than resorting to physical violence as means of resolving conflicts.
At household level, other primary preventive strategies, such as making access to microfinance services to poor households and vulnerable out-of school youths; combined with civic education in human rights and community-based responsibilities that address gender inequality and communication and relationship skills have to be introduced where they do not exist and strengthened where they do exist.
The Director revealed that COMESA’s advocacy to end impunity extends to sexual aggression, especially in conflict situations in keeping with the UN Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. This Resolution highlights the importance of involving women in all aspects of peace- building and peace- keeping.
The other area which the Gender Division is advocating is the promotion of Mother and Child Health. There is need to strengthen integrated health care where the facilities exist in order to curtail unnecessary deaths of mothers and infants. The health of mothers and children play an integral part in the struggle to reduce poverty as well as a guarantee to future prosperity in the COMESA region.
She reminded all stakeholders to address the long-outstanding issue of empowerment of women in social, cultural, political, and economic spheres, starting with the girl-child.
International, regional and national consensus is that women are still not accorded equal opportunities to that of their male counterparts to participate in the affairs that concern them and their children. Women still are not present or visible in equal proportions to men in entrepreneurship, science and technology or politics.
Women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. Experts say continued investments in the health and education of women and girls - and in programs that support their economic, social and cultural improvement are investments that benefit everyone. Therefore, the UN 2012 theme “connecting girls inspiring futures would have far reaching impacts if we start addressing the challenges alluded in this advocacy note in holist manner.