Driven by increase in cases of domestic violence, child marriage, rape and sexual harassment occasioned by travel restrictions, curfews, school closures and loss of income-generating opportunities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an non-governmental organisation, Emerge Women Development Initiative, in collaboration with Africa End Sexual Harassment Initiative (AESHI) and Women’s Academy for Africa (WAFA) kick-started a campaign tagged “silence is violence.”
The groups,via a statement made available to Quick News Africa on Monday, said they have resolved to synchronise their efforts and demand an end to sexual and gender-based and state-sponsored violence, development/implementation of gender-responsive policies and the charge, arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of GBV.
“The ‘Silence is Violence’ campaign is to be used as a means of challenging impunity and the actions of organisations and governments whose silence around this problem of violence against women during COVID 19 amounts to complicity,” the statement read.
The groups say they intend to engage a digital campaign (video) with regional voices of men and women from Africa expressing their outrage and demanding accountability on this issue; Host a webinar which will also serve as a platform for a strategic planning event on how to ensure that governments are responsive to GBV in times of COVID-19 and refrain from engaging or supporting state sponsored violence and issue a communiqué to specific national and regional institutions.
“The objectives of the campaign is to ensure that policy measures that are gender-sensitive are developed and implemented.
“Prevent and/or hold to account acts of impunity by those who are perpetrating GBV.
“Create a strong network that monitors and can contribute to measures being undertaken to remove factors that contribute to GBV.”
