GBV ranges from physical, sexual, emotional and other family violence to female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, early childbearing, trafficking and sexual violence as a weapon of war.
While gender-based violence affects women and children of all ages, in East and Southern Africa, adolescents and young women are particularly at risk. Harmful practices, including female genital mutilation (FGM frequently asked questions) and child marriage, have significant consequences on agency and bodily autonomy, impacting women’s health and their right to choose when, if and how many children they wish to bear.
In our Wednesday’s edition, we reported that activists have intensified their efforts to end all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country.
The campaign, which was in the form of a nationwide caravan tour, has been criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country and has now reached the West Coast Region, as the tour-caravan enters its final leg.
Violence against women is pervasive, including digital spaces. The menace has a serious consequence on women’s physical health, as well as their sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.
Essentially, it constitutes a fundamental right violation against women and has adverse economic and social consequences for men, women, their children, families and communities.
It is sad that the negative act which is under-reported in some communities due to stereotypes and factors still remain prevalent in some quotas.
For instance, partner violence and the fear of abuse prevent girls from refusing sex and jeopardize their ability to negotiate condom use, studies in sub-Saharan Africa have found.
Africa still remains one of the regions with high prevalence of GBV and harmful practices among adolescents and young women. Of girls aged 20 to 24 years, 31 per cent were married before the age of 18 (2020). Harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage, continue to persist in the region with significant consequences to agency and bodily autonomy.
Also, women and girls with disabilities are estimated to be up to 10 times more likely to experience sexual violence, with a range of 40 to 68 per cent of girls with disabilities below 18 experiencing sexual violence. Fewer than 10 percent of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 who experienced forced sex asked for professional help, due to fear, stigma, discrimination and a lack of services.
Studies revealed that in sub-Saharan Africa around 65 percent of countries have laws specifically criminalizing domestic violence. Legislation is, however, often limited in scope and coverage or is not enforced. Across countries, domestic violence legislation varies greatly in scope and applicability. Only 37 percent of the sub-Saharan African countries have laws covering physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence.