Despite efforts by various organisations to curb the scourge of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country, the Kavango East Region continues to record high cases of GBV.

According to statistics from the GBV Unit in Rundu, on average, the region records over 5,000 cases of GBV annually and over 400 cases every month.

A senior social worker at the unit, Aurelia Mukundu, while sharing the statistics, indicated that there are still many unreported cases in the community for fear of victimisation or retaliation by the suspects.

She, therefore, called on the public to cooperate and report any case of GBV to ensure that victims receive the necessary assistance and treatment promptly.

"The GBV unit consists of the Ministry of Gender staff members, which are the social workers, and then we also have the police officers that are stationed here at the unit. So in terms of the community, our general public out there, we really need their support in terms of even just reporting the cases that are happening out there. Because what happens is that some cases are buried in our community. So let us work together because, on our own, we cannot do it. We need everyone. We need to collaborate with everyone."

Mukundu was speaking during a donation of hygiene kits to GBV survivors by the USAID-funded ACHIEVE Project.
 
Taurayi Ngwande, ACHIEVE Project Director, encouraged stakeholders to continue working together in the fight against GBV.

"One of the core areas that we address is gender-based violence. It has been shown that a lot of these girls and young women are getting HIV-infected through GBV, and as a project, we have a result area where we need to address gender-based violence in all its forms, including emotional, physical, and sexual violence. Therefore, through the funding we get from USAID, we are able to address and support line ministries, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender, where we are today, to help them meet the needs of survivors of GBV."