Women call for ZRP capacitation in the fight against OGBV
Providence Moyo
Women have called for strategic and intensive capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in fighting Online Gender Based Violence (OGBV).
This was made known by women present at an ‘Online Gender Based Violence Conference’ hosted by Emthonjeni Women’s Forum (EWF) in Bulawayo on Friday.
Speaking during the engagement, a legal practitioner with Paradigm Initiative, Thobekile Matimbe said lack of capacitation of the security forces in fighting OGBV hinders progress in enshrining justice for the victims.
“Women are finding it diffucult to report OGBV because police officers do not have adequate equipment and knowledge on how this type of violence works and they are not aware of its implications to the victims,” she said.
Matimbe added that women, young people, lesbians, gays, transgenders, intersex and bisexuals are the most affected by cyber bullying, harrassment and non- consesual sharing of intimate images and body shaming.
While echoing Matimbe’s sentiments, human rights activist Tanyaradzwa Jacqueline said this incapacitation in law enforcement has been taken advantage of by parpetrators to exarcerbate OGBV with impunity because they are aware that they will get away with it.
Legal practitioner at Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights (ZLHR) a Prisca Dube weighed in by adding that along with ZRP, the judiciary also needs capacitation in order to execute justice effectively.
“Perpetrators are aware of this gap and have proliferated violence online by circulating offensive data.Our police officers and the judiciary must be equiped to appreciate this type of violence and its effects on the affected,” Dube said.
Bulawayo Assistant Police Spokesperson, Nomalanga Msebele said the police force would appreciate the capacitation because they do not have enough means for fighting OGBV as some of their stations are operating without important tools of dealing with the issue at hand that include laptops and computers.
Another participant, said it is high time the country steps up the fight against OGBV because as the internet is becoming more pervasive, OGBV is bound to be perpetrated.
A representative from the ministry of Women Affairs, Sibongile Khumalo said capacitation of the officers will go a long way in ending OGBV as police officers are meant to be the first protocol where residents seek safety hence they must have adequate skills of handling and dealing with OGBV case.
“This is a pandemic that does not seem to be going away which is slowly but surely being exacerbated daily and if not looked at intensely, we may lose lives because people go to the security forces seeking assistance and if they do not get it, they end up losing hope and taking drastic steps which are usually not the right steps.Some may end up taking their own lives in order to escape the abuse,” she said.
On 3 December 2021, Zimbabwe enacted the Data Protection Act whose main objective is to increase data protection in building confidence and trust in the secure use of information and communication channels.
