New GBV policy set for November

The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion has undertaken plans to develop a new National Policy on gender based violence and violence against children by November this year, after revelations that the cabinet did not approve the one which was developed in 2007 by the ministry and its partners, UNICEF and UNIFEM. During a meeting organised on Friday, it was revealed that the ministry wanted gather input from all stakeholders and relevant ministries on why the first draft policy was rejected by the cabinet and discuss what should be included in the new policy. “Our team of both national and international consultants will discuss with stakeholders the information they have on gender based violence and their role in combating the violence as well as the impact the Law on gender based violence has had on the country’s population,” a statement from MIGEPROF reads. The statement which was released on Friday, also noted that issues of gender based violence can be tackled more effectively in a separate policy in order to highlight the issues in detail and improve actions to fight the violence. “In spite of efforts to fight gender based violence, cases of violence are still high and the actions to prevent and respond to violence are many times uncoordinated and scattered,” the statement reads. “Therefore, the need for a comprehensive policy framework and an implementation plan corresponding to the new Law on gender based violence is critical in coordinating all stakeholders’ activities.” The statement further addresses the urgency to balance implementations with the need to drastically reduce gender violence in the short term and also provide a roadmap for future plans. The consultancy team was given 10 weeks to discuss what should be included in the new policy and how this can be implemented at local level. Thereafter, a complete draft on National Gender Based Violence Policy and a gender based violence policy plan will be submitted to the cabinet for approval. Ends