Gender Equality and Ending Family Violence

Support action groups working to end gender-based violence through challenging community structures and behaviours in Zambian villages.

The key to transformational change in any community can be found in harnessing the existing strengths of that community. If you add some targeted training to those strengths, you have a powerful tool that can change numerous lives for the better.

This is what is happening in Zambia, in the communities in which AID’s Anglican Church partner, ZACOP, works to end Gender-based and other forms of violence and build the equality of women and girls within their communities.

Clemens is a member of one of the Gender Action Groups (GAGs) which have been formed in three Zambian villages to raise awareness of gender-based violence and child abuse, and support people to change their behaviours.

“We are so lucky that they chose us. We learnt how to fight GBV in our homes and other places. This violence was prevalent in our homes and villages. Since we had the training last November, GBV has reduced. We visit each home three times. There are 15 of us in the GAG, and each of us is responsible for visiting 15 households. I personally have 102 people to visit. We meet weekly as a group to discuss and plan.

“People report cases of violence which we GAG members then report to the Coordinator. The situation is assessed, and the information verified. Then we go to the Headman who will write a call-out to the family. This means the family will need to meet with the Headman plus the GAG member and they all discuss together the next steps. It is like this in traditional law where the Headman conducts a hearing.”

Next steps may include monitoring by the GAG and Headman or Headwoman, or referral to one of the community counsellors trained by the project. The process may even involve the arrest of a GBV perpetrator by a trained paralegal and transport to a police station for legal action.

Often, the work of the GAGs is sufficient to change lifetime habits, simply by raising awareness and responsibility, and supporting people to change their behaviour.

Falesi is an older woman who lives in one of the villages. She candidly expresses how the work of the GAGs has changed her and her family for the better.

“Before the project came, I used to verbally abuse my daughter, my grandchildren, and some orphans under my care whenever they did wrong. My heart always seemed to be bitter for no reason.

“But after the project started, a Gender Action Group member started visiting my home and teaching me about different forms of abuse and its consequences. So, I decided to do some self-introspection and realized that the way I was treating my children was wrong. ‘Me? a perpetrator?’ I thought… ‘I must change’.

“So, the more I learned from the GAGs, the more I wanted to change and be a better person. Now, I am a changed person. I can talk to my children without shouting or using abusive language. The children are happier and the changes in me have influenced them to change their behaviour too.”

Your gift to this project will support trained people like Clemens and other GAG members, counsellors, and paralegals, to work within their community structures to change attitudes and behaviours regarding gender-based violence.

We have committed to contribute $1 for every $5 we receive from the Australian Government. This means that every donation you make to this project will be combined with funding from the Australian Government to reach more people. Your donation will allow us to extend this program.

Watch this video made by AID’s Zambian partner, ZACOP, that gives insights into the Integrated Gender Equality Project. This documentary was made with participants in the project in Eastern Diocese and you can hear them speaking about the impacts of the project on them, in their own words. Thanks to the Australian Government through #ANCP for funding this documentary.