Chief Madzimawe calls for concerted efforts to end violence against women, girls in Africa

Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province is concerned that violence against women and girls has remained a universal matter across the African continent.

The traditional leader has, therefore, emphasised the need for concerted efforts by governments to put up mechanisms at national, regional, and continental level to end the vice.

He said this at the just ended 3rd African Union Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls in South Africa on Tuesday.

Madzimawe encouraged governments to share success stories on best practices if the fight was to be won.

“Violence against women is affecting millions of lives and hindering social progress and comes in the form of rape, femicide, child marriages, as well as female genital mutilation,” he noted.

Read more: Report reveals 36% of Zambian women experience physical violence by age 15

Madzimawe also observed that religion and culture in some instances had remained key drivers to these social norms.

On the conference, he saw it as an important platform to assess progress made by different stakeholders across sectors.

He was of the view that it provided an opportunity to consolidate bold continental efforts taken towards ending violence against women and girls on the African continent.

He told conference participants that the Zambian government had been engaging the civil society, researchers, traditional leaders, youth organisations, the community to end the vice.

“We are also committed to promoting positive masculinity in Africa by bringing the African man back to the original respect of an African woman as a mother to humankind. We must reclaim positive African cultures that protect rights, dignity, and Ubuntu,” Madzimawe said.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Mazuba Monze, commended efforts by the Chief to end violence against women and girls.

Monze noted that the conference served as a forum to share information, and approaches that can promote the empowerment of girls and women in society.

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