Zambia initiated 16 days of activism against gender based violence, with a major show of political will and engagement in Mulungushi Hall in Lusaka on 25th of November. Thousands of women – and men – together with cabinet ministers, members of parliament, top government officials, the UN agencies and diplomats gathered in order to encourage each other to create a Zambia free of violence against women and children. The theme for this year’s campaign is: ‘Create peace in the home for peace in Zambia: United we stand to end violence against women and children’.
In the following 16 days, a number of activities will take place all over the country to raise awareness and encourage those suffering from violent behaviour to take action and seek support. It is equally important that officials, the police and judiciary as well as local leaders including religious leaders and traditional chiefs become more aware of the seriousness of such offences, and take them seriously.
Norway supports this campaign through its funding of Gender and Child Development Division in the Cabinet Office directly under the President. The support is provided through the UN Development Programme together with Ireland and the Netherlands, as shown by the flags on the banner (see picture).
The campaign is also supported by numerous government and non-government organisations, with the involvement also of the army and the police, the Human Rights Commission, the churches, and the NGO Coordination Council for women’s organisations.