CLERGY CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION AGAINST GBV

By Morgan Chomba 

The Jesus Anointed Ministries Associate Pastor for the Lusaka branch, Pauline Ngozu, has added her voice to the growing chorus of advocates calling for an end to gender-based violence (GBV) during the ongoing 16 Days of Activism campaign.

In an interview with The Scoop, Pastor  Ngozu disclosed that GBV is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue that affects the nation.

Pastor Ngozu identified poverty amongst the women folk in Zambia as a root cause of Gender Based Violence cases.

 “As faith leaders, we have a critical role to play in promoting gender equality and challenging harmful societal norms,” she said.

The clergy  has observed that most women are in abusive relationships  making it difficult for them to abandon their partners because of being vulnerable .

Her comment comes amid the commemoration of 16 Days of gender activism.

She called on the women folk to strive hard and find their source of livelihood and not much dependent on men who mostly abuse them.

The clergy has since called on the church to play a bigger role in the fight against GBV by the way of ministering messages that will inculcate good morals to those in relationships.

She has noticed that most women are in abusive relationships because they can’t leave a man who provides for them.

“This is especially true for a woman who has children and is being abused by her husband. She is not financially independent and is entirely dependent on her husband. It’s very difficult to abandon an abusive home.

“In Zambian culture, especially in remote areas, a man will be given priority to a man in attaining education, and a woman will be married off so that she can be a source of income for the family, and men take advantage of women like that,” she said.

She said most women who were highly empowered and financially independent found it very easy to leave their abusive homes.

She has urged the church to teach the couples about GBV and talk to the men to love their wives and families.

The clergy further urged faithful leaders across the nations to teach faithfully the wisdom of God regarding gender-based violence internally and externally. 

She stressed that there was a need to address issues of gender-based violence and issues of mental health in churches.

She has since called upon couples to seek better ways of resolving marital issues than violence because the reputation was terrible and the number of men who have gone to prison for killing their wives and children are negatively impacted.