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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

SPOUSAL abuse is the most common form of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country with women being the main victims.

Verbal and deprivation of physical needs in order to punish victims tops methods used by violence perpetrators.

Thirteen percent of GBV victims were abused by their spouses and 0,4 percent were victimised by other perpetrators countrywide.

The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) 2020 revealed this development in a report that covers rural communities countrywide.

Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North have the lowest spousal abuse cases compared to provinces in the northern parts of the country.

In Matabeleland South 7,4 percent of spousal abuse cases were reported while 10, 1 percent cases were reported in Matabeleland North while Manicaland had the highest number of cases at 19,1 percent followed by Mashonaland Central with 15,6 percent and Midlands with 15 percent.

In coming up with the report, ZimVAC researchers interviewed mainly female participants.

“The most reported form of spousal violence was verbal abuse and deprivation of physical needs in order to punish the victim at 71 percent,” reads the report.

The report further states that spousal rape is another common form of GBV among couples.

“Forcing victim with threats or in any other way to perform sexual acts they did not want to (accounts for seven percent abuse), physically forcing victim to perform any other sexual acts they did not want to seven (percent) and physically forcing victim to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to (accounts for 15 percent of spousal GBV)” reads the report.

Other forms of spousal GBV include purposefully trying to choke a victim or burning them, which accounts for five percent of reported cases while seven percent of victims are threatened or attacked with a knife, gun, among other weapons.

The ZimVAC report states that from the 13 percent who experienced spousal abuse 5,4 percent sought medical attention as a result of injuries sustained due to abuse.

“The majority of those who experienced spousal violence reported to relatives/friends (37,8) percent,” read the report.

Social and economic factors have been attributed to spousal abuse dominating GBV cases in the country.

Sheikh (pastor) Isaac Ali attributed spousal abuse cases to hardships in the economy and socialisation.

“From the cases that I have dealt with, this has to do with financial hardships that the people are facing. Because of that pressure that comes with it (financial) challenges, people tend to offload it on their spouses especially men on their wives. I will also say it is hereditary, they grow up in an environment where it is instilled in them that if you are a man no one must challenge you or come with an opinion. So, some grows with that mentality and when they are overpowered in terms of points, they resort to being violent,” said Sheikh Ali.

Emthonjeni Women’s Forum programmes manager Ms Melissa Ndlovu said spousal abuse is a result of social and economic inequalities between men and women.

“We also note that spousal rape happens due to poor communication and failure to negotiate for safer sex among intimate partners. As an organisation we are involved in raising awareness on GBV through counselling and rehabilitative initiatives for victims. We also capacitate women on advocacy so that they can demand accountability of GBV issues,” said Ms Ndlovu.

GBV cases are said to have increased countrywide during the initial stages of the Covid-19 induced lockdown where victims were stuck in homes with their abusers.

-@nqotshili