By Annie Zulu
ZAMBIA is making
strides in combating Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) through various
interventions put in place, Ministry of Gender Permanent Secretary Sastone
Silomba has said.
Dr Silomba said the Government had put in place an
enabling legal and policy framework to combat the vice.
He also said Government through the Ministry of Gender
had been coordinating programs aimed at addressing issues of SGBV with help
from its partners.
He further indicated that the country had domesticated
the pact on Security Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region which
included the protocol on prevention and suppression of sexual violence against
women and children.
Dr Silomba said this when he officiated at the
Training of Trainers (TOT) for ICGLR-RTF master and national trainers in the
holistic approach to address SGBV workshop in Lusaka, Zambia.
The workshop which took place from March 23-25, 2021
and whose objective was to equip professionals dealing with SGBV
cases in Zambia with new skills on the subject, was organised by the
International Conference of the Great Lakes Region-Regional Training Facility
(ICGLR-RTF) in conjunction with the European Union (EU), GIZ and Panzi
Foundation among other cooperating partners.
“The Government of Zambia recognises that SGBV is a
national problem and is of growing concern. To this effect, our Government has
put in place various interventions,” Dr Silomba said.
And the Permanent Secretary said the workshop was
timely, stressing that front liners in the fight against SGBV needed the
knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively prevent and support
survivors.
He also reiterated Government's commitment
and support towards implementation of projects and programmes that were in line
with pact in the great lakes region.
Speaking at the same event, ICGLR-RTF Acting Regional
Director Victor Mugaruka said the training program started in 2020 and was
being conducted in several counties in the great lakes.
Mr Mugarika said at the end of the programme, an
action plan would be developed and act as a guideline for the front liners in
the region as they carryout their duties.
“We have conducted trainings in Uganda, Rwanda, DRC
and now Zambia. Our main objective is to see that we strengthen capacity among
professionals handling SGBV cases so that they can fulfil their duties
smoothly,” He said.
Meanwhile, ICGLR-RTF National Coordinator Hassan Banda said his office would continue to work with various stakeholders in the country in fighting SGBV.
