Empower women victims of GBV, NGO prods gov’t

By SHERRY CHABALA

CONCERNED Citizens for Justice and Human Rights Organization has called on Government to ensure that female survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) have access to empowerment programmes to improve their welfare.

The organisation’s operations director, Catherine Ntongama said lack of empowerment programme to enable them start tangible businesses has been a contributing factor to women living in abusive marriages.

“Looking at capacity, we are very much behind because  we need more resources as there are more women victims of GBV out there and they don’t have what to do or where to go. So if the government can help us by providing space for us to provide skills training for them like tailoring, carpentry and other programme, it will enable us to help them to become financially independent,” Ms Ntongama said.

She explained that the organisation plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of victims of GBV but that   the lack of funding has been a major constraint in the execution of its mandate.

Ms Ntongama called on Government to provide incentives to organizations such has hers to develop skills training centres for female victims of GBV.

Ms. Ntongama added that women empowerment was the fastest way of reducing GBV cases hence various stakeholders including Government should prioritize it.

“Some of the women are trapped in abusive relationships and marriages because they do not have anywhere else to go and they are not financially independent so the government should help us  to provide skills training to make our women.

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