16Days of Activism Statement
16days of Activism against Gender Based Violence have commenced for the year 2021. As the day commence we reflect on how Covid- 19 has contributed towards the notable increase in cases of gender based violence. Since time immemorial we have been calling for an end to gender based violence however we continue to see an increase in these cases of gender based violence. We commend the joined efforts by stakeholders in ending gender based violence.
The current status quo on cases of gender based violence requires that we intensify our efforts on ending gender based violence. This year’s theme is ” Orange the world: End Violence against Women and Girls”. Child marriages are a form of violence against the girl child. We continue to call for laws to be aligned so that the girl child is protected by the law, we continue to call for the passing of the Marriage Bill into law. The full arm of law needs to take it’s place. We have policies and laws that protect the girl child that are not being implemented. We need them to be implemented so that the girl child is fully protected. We have seen call for the mandatory sentencing for sex offenders. This is a move that we welcome because as long as we have a minimum sentence stipulated by law, sex offender will be locked away for a long time.
Fighting GBV is not a 16day fight. We need to fight this for the whole 365days a year. We need women in abusive relationships and marriages to speak up and get help. We call upon churches and families to join this fight and stop sweeping cases of gender based violence under the carpet. Together, through collective efforts we can end GBV against women and girls
