"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 simply 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."
"Her story mirrors those of thousands of women in Zambia navigating the persistent crisis of gender-based violence (GBV). According to the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, nearly half of all women there had experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence in their lifetime; experts warn, however, that the true number is likely higher, as stigma and fear mean that many cases remain unreported."
"Anne Mwale-Anamela, Executive Director of the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council (NGOCC), says the country continues to struggle with the underlying forces driving such violence: "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 explains from her office in Lusaka. "GBV is deeply rooted in power, inequality, and social expectations,""
Nearly half of Zambian women have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence in their lifetime, and the true number is likely higher because stigma and fear lead to underreporting. Zambia has legal frameworks including the Anti-GBV Act of 2011 and a National Action Plan, but implementation gaps persist. Deep-rooted power imbalances, gender inequality, and social norms that treat violence as private or normal within marriage perpetuate survivor silence. Awareness campaigns have improved public understanding, yet access to services remains uneven, particularly in rural districts, leaving many survivors without support or protection.
Read at www.dw.com
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