Flow explorer

Reported amount

$107,375

Contribution type

financial

Flow type

Standard

Donor

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women

Recipient agency

Women and Law in Southern Africa – Zimbabwe

Destination

Zimbabwe

Plan

Unspecified

Sector

Protection - Gender-Based Violence

Decision date

30 Oct 2024

First reported

01 Apr 2025

Reference

27_46053

Multi-Sector - GBV Programming This project will be implemented in four selected districts in Zimbabwe namely, Mbire, Marange, Gokwe, and Beitbridge over 4 years . The overall goal of the project is “Marginalised women and girl survivors of intersectional violence in 4 districts of Zimbabwe enjoy protection of GBV laws and policies by October 2028.” The project seeks to address the remaining and perennial gaps in eliminating VAWG as well as complement and scale up efforts by the government, GBV stakeholders and institutions. These gaps include insufficient implementation of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 5:16 due to lack of accountability mechanisms, financial resources , unavailability of police posts and health centres . In rural areas such as Mbire police stations are situated 20 km away from communities making police services unavailable to survivors of GBV Zimbabwe is currently gripling under the effects of the 2023/24 El Nino induced drought which has resulted in crop failure, depletion of water sources, food insecurity and heightened poverty. As a result, women and girls’ exposure to sexual exploitation, GBV, intimate partner violence and child marriages has escalated. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the protection consequences of climate change and economic hardship. In the targeted geographical areas of Mbire, Gokwe and Beitbridge, women and girls are forced to walk long distances to collect water, facing an increased risk of sexual violence. WLSA is currently implementing a project on ending child marriages in Chipinge, Mutasa and Mutare rural areas supported by Christian Aid . Our learning from this project has shown that there are increased cases of child marriages, and GBV which were exacerbated by the El Nino . There are high rates of SGBV with one in three women being affected. Harmful Practice, religious beliefs and patriarchy result in increased child marriages and GBV due to the religious doctrine of child marriages and position of women and girls in white garment churches dominant in the areas. The specific groups targeted include Adolescent girls (9- 18 years), young women (18-35 years), women and girls with disabilities, Women / girl survivors of violence, Women/girls from minority ethnic, apostolic sects, Women and girls in the lowest income groups who are, marginalized and disadvantaged who live in rural, peri urban, mining and drought prone areas. These women and girls have been left out of development issues, and are socially, politically and culturally marginalized. The women and girls across the four chosen districts, are at high risk of experiencing violence or are already affected by it. By focusing on marginalized communities, the project seeks to empower women and girls through awareness programs, capacity building, and direct legal aid support services. Additionally, community leaders, traditional leaders, youth , and men in the community will be engaged to foster a collective understanding of gender justice and equality, encouraging local community actions and male voices in advocacy efforts to prevent VAWG. Implementation of this project will adopt the following strategies- a) Service delivery to women and girls who are survivors of violence b) Coordination with local government , police , local leadership and other key stakeholders to enhance existing protection frameworks against GBV. c) Advocacy and policy change dialogues and debates . d) Community engagement , awareness and empowerment on GBV , available services and legal recourse. e) Capacity building of dutybearers. This project seeks to develop a robust training program for law enforcement agencies, government and community leaders on their respective constitutional obligations and duties to VAWG. Through this training, WLSA aims to build collective and shared responsibilities , challenge the culture of silence , and the understanding of respective functionaries in curbing VAWG . The project will allocate resources specifically for advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about available services and support mechanisms for survivors, thereby promoting a culture of reporting and seeking help. The expected outcomes of this project are, we anticipate a significant reduction in the incidences of VAWG, SGBV, and child marriages within the targeted districts, because of improved community awareness and engagement. Increased reporting of violence, coupled with better response mechanisms from local authorities, will empower women and girls to seek justice and support, fostering a more inclusive environment. There will be strengthened partnerships between the women’s organizations , community institutions and government contributing to pronounced alignment of resources and interventions . By equipping local institutions with the knowledge and tools necessary, a resilient framework that transcends the current funding limitations will be established. The activities planned under this project will cost $523,430.