BY VANESSA GONYE THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs has said the government lacks commitment in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and relies on third parties for knowledge on the matter. This was revealed in a report by the committee on the 2021 national budget, which was presented recently in the National Assembly by Bacillia Majaya (MDC Alliance). Majaya said although Treasury supported most of the bids for GBV programmes, the unallocated bit amounting to $15 million could have gone a long way in supporting such programmes. “In its response to GBV, the government has had to rely on statistics from partners about GBV due to lack of own support services in the form of one-stop centres,” Majaya said. “The need for institutional support services for GBV can never be overstated. Treasury needs to consider a budget towards the construction of one-stop centres starting with Chipinge and Matabeleland North. An allocation of $15 million will close the existing resource gap for one-stop centres.” Majaya said in areas hit by national disasters such as Cyclone Idai, there were no plans to cater for GBV survivors. She said more women failed to access GBV services while others needed direct support from the government. As at November 21 2020, Musasa Project recorded 37 152 cases of GBV, but many cases go unreported. lFollow Vanessa on Twitter @vanessa_gonye
