Breaking the silence on gender-based violence in Zambia

RTÉ News​

01-05-2025

Zambia in southern Africa has some of the highest rates of reported gender-based violence in the world.
Karen Creed and cameraman Brian Walsh travelled there, supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund, to look at the impact of this violence on women and girls and what efforts are being made to prevent it.
It was only 17 months ago that a ban against child marriage was introduced in Zambia.
Up until then, it meant that once a girl reached puberty she could be married.
As well as robbing them of their childhoods, it is unimaginable the harm this has caused.
It now being illegal is a significant step forward, but domestic and sexual violence remain a big problem in the country.
With a population of more than 19 million people, it is estimated that more than a third of all Zambian women and girls have experienced physical violence.
Women are being abused in the home, their daughters are being physically and sexually assaulted, and in many cases the perpetrator is known to the victim.
"Some mothers will be aware of the abuse happening in the home but say I can't report this because your father is providing for us at home."
Anastasia Munyati is a campaigner and founder of ARISE, an organisation that focuses on social and gender justice.
She dedicates her work to helping girls and women who are impacted by gender-based violence (GBV) as she can relate to their trauma.
"I experienced abuse when I was a child," she explains. "It is something I have had to deal with for a very long time.
"Coming from a place of having the experience of it myself, I understand what they are going through."
Anastasia becomes emotional as she describes some of the "worst cases", where fathers are abusing their own daughters.
"Some mothers will be aware of the abuse happening in the home but say 'I can't report this because your father is providing for us at home'," she says.
"So, if he is in prison what will we eat and if he is in prison it is going to bring shame to the family."
Zambia is steeped in patriarchy, where men hold the most authority, which can often result in violence.
It is still prevalent in many countries where the beliefs that have surrounded masculinity have created a view that violence is a legitimate means of asserting power.
"The biggest issue is the fact that most are embedded in our social and cultural norms," says Anastasia.
"If there was a way that we could work around dismantling some of these harmful cultural norms that we have."
Action against gender-based violence
There are noticeable efforts to make a stand against these practices.
In the capital Lusaka, protests against gender-based violence are happening regularly.
"We are looking at negative cultural practices, we are stopping them."
One of the most recent protests, that took place earlier last month, was after a surge in reports of men raping young girls.
One of the main challenges, however, is spreading the awareness of harmful cultural practices to rural communities and their male leaders.
The leader of one region, Chief Chamuka, has declared his community a gender-based violence free zone and we visited him to discuss what is being done to achieve this.
"We are looking at negative cultural practices, we are stopping them," he says.
"For example, a practice which says when a girl just reaches puberty, this girl should get married, we have just banned that.
"And the community has accepted that very well."
He is confident that people in his community are no longer afraid to report any form of abuse because he has assured them that they will be protected.
This chief is one of more than 200 traditional leaders across the country.
He is hopeful that training will encourage other chiefs to take a similar approach and understand that "empowering women and girls" makes for a better society, overall.
Will for change evident on a national scale
However it is evident from visiting remote areas that it will take time for this shift in attitude.
On a national level it is evident there is a will for change.
The government has run joint programmes with the United Nations on the prevention of and response to gender-based violence cases.
Tough prison sentences for perpetrators have been implemented and there are awareness campaigns around what constitutes gender-based violence.
Shupe Makashinyi, who works with Zambia's UN Development Programme, says there is evidence that it is having an effect.
"There are platforms where girls in the villages can talk about gender equality, about GBV marriage, about domestic violence being a crime."
She says the mindsets of women and girls have changed considerably.
"In those years long ago, you wouldn't have such platforms because you would ask some women 'is it ok for your husband to beat you?'
"Some will say 'yes, that is a sign of love'. But now they have been awakened; they know that there is a law against GBV," she says.
As a result, more cases of gender-based violence are being reported.
The growth of one-stop centres to support women and children is a central part of the strategy.
Shupe highlights the importance of their expansion to rural areas as it brings the services to victims and allows them to find support locally.
Ireland supports gender equality in Zambia
Zambia's ambition to tackle gender-based violence stretches back more than two decades.
Ireland is among the countries that has been supporting gender equality with a long-standing development programme.
In recent years it is also using its own experience to show Zambia the opportunities to increase access to justice.
Chali Mbewe Hambayi oversees the country's gender-based crimes department and outlines how progress is being made in several areas.
"With the support of the Government of Ireland, we have been able to set up our GBV fast-track courts," she explained.
"We have trained magistrates, prosecutors, investigators in how to respond appropriately to cases of gender-based violence."
She also describes how the prosecution holding the perpetrators accountable gives confidence to victims who may be reluctant to come forward that "the law will be there to help me."
However, there are strides to be made to move away from the narrative of victim blaming as it is still hindering some women and girls from reporting these crimes.
Chali is an example of a Zambian woman who is at the forefront of social and legal change.
She, like Anastasia, Shupe and many others we met during our visit are tireless in their efforts to confront cultural norms.
Their education has given them empowerment to help improve their society.
They are also extremely keen to let us know that Zambia is a beautiful country despite its social and economic issues.
They are pleased we have been able to witness that along with the warmth of the people.
The day before we depart Lusaka, I ask some locals about an unusual bottle-shaped tree that I have seen in many areas we have travelled to.
"It is the baobab tree," they tell me with a smile. I have since found out that it is regarded as a symbol of resilience across Zambia.