Gender-based violence cases worrisome—CCJP
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has expressed concern about the increase of gender-based violence (GBV) cases in the country.
CCJP’s Primary Justice Coordinator for Ntchisi, Wilson Kambewa, made the statement on Saturday during the donation of bicycles to 100 community-based educators (CBEs) from five traditional authorities (T/As) Chilooko, Vusojere, Nthondo, Kasakula and Malenga.
Kambewa said the bicycles will help the CBEs to reach hard-to-reach areas where cases of GBV are rampant.
“The community-based-educators will use the bicycles to travel to hard-to -reach areas to counsel women and children who are victims of GBV,” Kambewa said.
He said GBV has both physical and psychological effects on victims which eventually erodes their self-esteem.
“These bad feelings about themselves [victims of GBV] often cause them to engage in high-risk behaviours. This makes them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and Aids and unwanted pregnancies.
“Women fearing violence are less able to protect themselves from infection. They do not have power to negotiate for safe sex or refuse unwanted sex. They do not get tested for HIV and they fail to seek treatment after infection,” Kambewa said.
He noted that the number of women shunning HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in the country is increasing because the women fear that if they are tested positive, their spouses will abandon them.
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