Gender Based Violence: The Zambian Situation

This paper looks at the status of Gender based violence in Zambia. A comprehensive analysis of data and articles from WHO, UN WOMEN, NAC, ZDHS, and CSO allowed us to comprehensively and critically analyze Gender Based Violence(GBV) in Zambia. The data reveals that Gender-based violence is a widespread problem in Zambia. The current Zambia Demographic Health Survey (2013-2014) shows that Ever-married women are more likely than those who never-married to have experienced physical violence, indicating that in Zambia ever-married women are more exposed to physical violence. Further 57% of women who are divorced, separated, or widowed and 48 percent of currently married women have experienced physical violence since age 15, compared with 27 percent of never-married women. Urban women are slightly more likely than women living in rural areas to have experienced physical violence since age 15 (45 percent against 42 percent). Despite the efforts being put in place to curb the vice by the Government and other agencies such as Non- Government Organizations(NGOs), a number of socioeconomic and cultural factors such as loopholes in enforcement of laws regarding property ownership, economic opportunities and autonomy, inheritance, marriage and sexual negotiations with husbands or partners need to be fully addressed. There is need for evidence-based and action-oriented approaches in addressing gender based violence if desired levels of success are to be achieved.