The most predominant form of violence in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is emotional violence, a 2018 Comprehensive Gender-Based Violence (GBV) study, has revealed.
The study presented here on Tuesday by SADC Public Security Senior Officer Kealeboga Moruti, at the opening of the GBV Training Workshop for the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development and Family Affairs is aimed at compiling information on the prevalence of GBV and its various forms in the SADC region.
Moruti said the study found that 26.8 per cent of respondents had been emotionally abused, while 11.2 per cent of correspondents experienced physical violence and 12 per cent sexual violence.
The study further notes that the average proportion of ever-partnered women aged 15-49 years experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, is 33 per cent.
“GBV continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies. There is growing evidence that GBV is on the increase in the SADC region and this is triggered by various factors that require concerted efforts from all stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach to effectively prevent and respond to GBV in Namibia,” Moruti noted.
She added that implementation of legislation and policies remains critical and coordination and collaboration amongst stakeholders responsible to combat and prevent GBV are issues which remain critical.
The workshop, she further said will therefore provide a platform for parliamentarians to engage with service providers to unpack Namibia’s GBV laws and to engage on the role of parliamentarians in the national GBV response.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Professor Loide Kasingo emphasised the importance of the workshop, given the increasing GBV cases in Namibia.
“This workshop came at an opportune time when our country is grappling with the alarming rate of GBV cases,” she said.
The three-day workshop is held in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat at Swakopmund to raise awareness and strengthen the capacity of members to understand the status of GBV in the country.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
