By Michael Gwarisa
The prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly depression, among women who experience Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe is estimated to be around 77%.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, nearly 40% of women and girls in Zimbabwe experience physical violence in their lifetime, while 12% of women aged 15-49 have suffered sexual violence.
Speaking at a recent Data to Policy meeting in Harare, Mildred Mapani, an economist in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, emphasized the need to strengthen human resources handling GBV cases to address the associated mental health burden.
Approximately 90% of GBV victims who received psychosocial support from One-Stop Centres (OSCs) averted depression. We believe that capacitating nurses and police officers will reduce depression rates among GBV victims from 77.8% to 10%,” said Mapani.
She highlighted that multiple factors contribute to poor mental health outcomes among GBV survivors, with key root causes identified through a problem tree analysis.
“One of the major root causes of poor mental health outcomes among GBV victims is the limited capacity of service providers and restricted access to GBV services at One-Stop Centres across the country.”
Data from a 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report also indicates that half of all women who have experienced violence are diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
“Mental health has significant cost implications for the victim, their family, society, and the nation at large. The issue predominantly affects women and girls aged 15-49 in Zimbabwe and has indirect consequences on children living in abusive environments,” added Mapani.
Meanwhile, various measures have been implemented to address GBV and its associated mental health effects. The Domestic Violence Act of 2007 provides legal protection and relief for survivors, while service providers have been trained to handle GBV cases effectively. Since 2019, approximately 1,500 out of 15,353 nurses have undergone GBV training through the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s program.
