By ANDREW PHIRI –

THE Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) in Southern Province has described 2013 as a successful year in its campaigns against Gender Based Violence (GBV) as well as its advocacy on the constitutional making process.

NGOCC Southern Province coordinator Faith Simukoko said the organisation carried out a lot of sensitisation against GBV and on the Constitution-making process in the province during the just- ended year.

Ms Simukoko said in an interview that NGOCC helped create awareness in rural communities with the support of traditional leaders for people to understand GBV.

She also said that traditional leaders had also played a big part in GBV awareness among their subjects and that positive results in some instances were recorded.

Ms Simukoko thanked Chief Shingani of Choma District for taking up an active role by retrieving teenage girls from early marriages.

“We have done a lot of advocacy and awareness this year. We have worked well with traditional leaders in some rural communities.

“Specifically Chief Shingani in Choma retrieved two teenage girls from early marriages, so you can see that our advocacy is bearing positive results,” Ms Simukoko said.

She, however, said more should be done by all stakeholders, especially in the fight against GBV, as many cases still went unreported.

She was hopeful that 2014 would yield better results and requested other traditional leaders to emulate Chief Shingani in order to reduce cases of GBV in rural communities.

Ms Simukoko has further advised men to be active partners in the fight against GBV because it did not only affect women but men as well.

Last week, a 34-year-old man of Linda Township in Livingstone was brutally assaulted by his wife after the two picked a quarrel as they were celebrating Christmas.

George Chileka was badly beaten by his wife Monde Pumulo during a drinking spree at his friend’s residence in Linda Township.

Ms Pumulo was reported to the police who arrested her and charged her with assault. She was expected to appear in court soon.