Zambia on the right track in fight against SGBV- PS

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.