Government has reiterated on the need to institute programmes that will assist women be economically empowered.

The call follows the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, which is currently underway and will run up to December 10 this year.

According to the responsible Minister for Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati, most of the abuses that are perpetrated towards women and girls are mostly because women are not economically empowered.

In an interview, Kaliati said government has instituted a number of programmes aiming at empowering women and girls across the country.

She said: “As government we having a number of programmes to make sure that our women are empowered and one of the programmes is to make sure that the girls remain in schools.”

“Those who haven’t test the quality of education we are empowering them through skills development but also we are also implementing issues to do with the Cash Transfer Programme,” she said.

Kaliati also emphasised on the need to involve in eliminating the vice.

‘There is also need for male engagement to make sure men are being part and part and parcel and are being involved in the programmes that they have to know the responsibilities that they have and when they are having issues they need to discuss amicably other than insulting or slapping the wives at a community or household level,” said Kaliati.

The United Nations is marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence from 25 November to 10 December 2021, under the global theme set by the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign: “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”

A new report from UN Women, based on data from 13 countries since the pandemic, shows that 2 in 3 women reported that they or a woman they know experienced some form of violence and are more likely to face food insecurity.

Only 1 in 10 women said that victims would go to the police for help.