Today Zimbabwe comes first in launching a High-Level Political Compact (HLPC) on ending gender-based violence and harmful practices among the 22 countries implementing the global joint European Union and United Nations Spotlight initiative.
Speaking during the launch, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commended the Spotlight Initiative for supporting the government through the establishment of two additional Centres in Epworth and Bindura.
He said, “Today, we recommit ourselves by making a declaration through the High-Level Political Compact (HLPC) on ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.”
“As we do so, it is my conviction and hope that accelerated, adaptive, and innovative implementation of global, regional, and national commitments as outlined in the Action Plan of this HLPC will lead to our ultimate aspiration of a Gender-Based Violence free society by 2030.”
EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen who also attended the launch acknowledged the steps taken by the Zimbabwean government under the Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls.
“The Spotlight Initiative entirely funded by the European Union takes our commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and particularly SDG 5 on gender equality, to the next level,” Olkkonen said
“Gender-based violence has become a national emergency and I would like to congratulate His Excellency, the President, for boldly declaring it as one with this High-Level Compact.”
Besides EU, Patners in the Spotlight Initiative also include six UN agencies namely ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the UN WOMEN and civil society organizations.
The HLPC launch comes after the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) indicated that 1 in 3 women in Zimbabwe between 20-49 were married before the age of 18.
An estimated 39.4% of women in the country aged 15-49 experience physical violence at least once in their lifetime, while 11.6% within the same demography experience sexual violence according to the report.
UN Resident Coordinator Maria Ribeiro commended the HLPC as a platform to foster political will and ensure adequate policy reform.
“The HLPC can help to increase budget on gender-based violence prevention services, which is critical reduce the immense health, legal and productivity costs that the country continue to incur because of the scourge of violence against women and girls,” Ribeiro said.
