"For years, Thandiwe Zulu endured what she can only describes as a "slow disappearance" of who she once was. So when the time came that she finally gathered the courage to walk away from her abusive 10-year marriage, she did just that: walk away. "I had packed nothing. Just my phone and my handbag. I thought if I don't go now, I may never make it out alive," Zulu told DW."
"According to the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, nearly half of all women living there have experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence in their lifetimes. Experts warn, however, that the true number is likely higher, as stigma and fear mean that many cases remain unreported."
""We can have strong laws, but if communities still believe violence is a private matter or a normal part of marriage, then survivors remain silent and trapped," Mwale-Anamela explained from her office in Lusaka. "GBV is deeply rooted in power, inequality, and social expectations," she added, noting that while awareness campaigns have improved the public understanding of the issue, access to services remains uneven."
A large proportion of women in Zambia face gender-based violence, with the 2024 survey reporting nearly half experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in their lifetimes. Many incidents remain unreported due to stigma and fear, suggesting official figures understate the crisis. Zambia has laws and national plans to address GBV, but implementation gaps persist. Deep-rooted power imbalances, social expectations, and the normalization of violence within some communities prevent survivors from seeking help. Awareness efforts have increased public understanding, yet access to support services is inconsistent across regions, leaving many survivors without needed assistance.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]