For more than 10 years, Ms Chenai Thula from Mahlabathini village in Bubi District endured physical, emotional and economic gender-based violence at the hands of her husband.
Whenever he got drunk, he would assault her.
The major reason for the assault was that Ms Thula would have asked for money to take care of the family's needs, which he was failing to provide.
"I finally gathered the strength to report the abuse and I sought a protection order against him. Although the physical abuse stopped after this, the emotional abuse continued until I joined a group of women who were doing some income-generating projects. Through these projects, I started bringing in money to feed the family and that is when things changed," she said.
For nearly five months now, there has been peace in her home.
Ms Thula's story is one that reverberates with many women in Zimbabwe and beyond who have survived gender-based violence at the hands of a loved one.
Statistics show that about 1 in 3 women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence, while about 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual violence, since the age of 15.
Nearly half of Zimbabwean women have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime, and one in three of these women have experienced physical or sexual violence before the age of 18.
Zimbabwe yesterday joined the world in launching the 16 Days of Activism against GBV campaign, amid calls for collective action to end the pervasive issue.
The campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10, seeks to raise awareness, mobilise action, and strengthen collaboration to address GBV.
Addressing a press conference to officially mark the beginning of the campaign, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa acknowledged the challenges that persist, including the prevalence of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and online harassment.
She called upon all stakeholders to work together to address these issues and create a society free from violence.
"We have also noted with concern a troubling increase in gender-based violence perpetrated by women against men. It is essential to emphasise that GBV is unacceptable in all its forms, regardless of who the perpetrator may be. Violence against any individual, irrespective of gender, undermines the very fabric of our society and perpetuates a cycle of harm. To address all these challenges there is a need for all stakeholders and communities to work together through a whole-of-society approach and ensure a multi-sectoral response to GBV," she said.
"Our commitment to eradicating GBV must be all-encompassing, addressing violence from any direction. Whether violence is perpetrated by women or by men. We must foster a culture of respect and accountability, where all individuals feel safe and supported in seeking help."
She bemoaned the existing gaps relating to insufficient implementation of GBV-related laws and policies owing to weak accountability mechanisms while inadequate funding of the GBV national response was also limiting the reach of interventions by Government and its partners.
This year's campaign is running under the theme, Towards 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the theme called for re-commitment by nations to the principles set out in the Beijing Declaration.
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"As the Government, we remain committed to ending gender-based violence in all its forms but together we can do more. Let us therefore remain united in our resolve to end violence against women and girls, and create communities where violence is not tolerated, and where every individual is treated with dignity and respect," she added.
Since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its platform for action, Zimbabwe has made progress in the areas of gender equality and women's empowerment including the promulgation of progressive laws and policies with specific provisions seeking to end GBV.
Zimbabwe has prioritised the establishment of GBV call centres and toll-free numbers to enhance accessibility to services by all.
The Ministry of Women Affairs has also spearheaded the establishment of community-based shelters and One Stop Centres for the provision of multi-sectoral GBV services in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
