DOREEN NAWA, Lusaka UNDER the banner “Peace begins at home: End violence, empower women” Gender Links is calling for a radical shift in approaches to ending violence during the Sixteen Days of Activism from November 25 to December 10.Gender Links chief executive officer Colleen Lowe-Morna said gender violence is a symptom of a much deeper dissatisfaction and the gender inequality that pervades every aspect of life. “We cannot talk about ending violence without talking about women’s political, economic and social empowerment. For many years we listened to survivors of gender violence tell their stories, what we call the “I” stories.
“We realised that in almost every instance women go back into abusive relationships because they have no options. Economic empowerment and independence does not necessarily mean an end to violence but it is a key pre-condition,” Ms Lowe-Morna said. And according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), incidences of violence against women in some African countries may be up to five times higher than those of some developed economies.

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