Violence Against

Violence and abuse are affronts to human dignity, it is unacceptable. Historically and to this day women and children are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse as the stats show.

 

"Violence against Children"

Shall mean the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against a child, by an individual or group that either result in or has a high likelihood of resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity. 

 

"Violence against Women"

Shall mean all acts perpetrated against women which cause or could cause them physical, sexual, psychological, and economic harm, including the threat to take such acts; or to undertake the imposition of arbitrary restrictions on or deprivation of fundamental freedoms in private or public life in peacetime and during situations of armed conflicts or of war. 

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Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said: 

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“The root causes of violence against children and women are grounded in power imbalances. Abuse of power occurs along the dimensions of both age and gender. Poverty, unemployment, weak legal frameworks, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises also exacerbate this high prevalence of violence throughout Southern African countries. Violence against women and children is often normalized, and in many cases becomes intergenerational. We must break this vicious cycle of violence.”