As the number of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases continues to skyrocket in the country, Women’s Civil Organizations and Political Parties have collaborated in calling upon the country’s Deputy Prime Minister to declare GBV as a national emergency.

In a statement that was released on Thursday, Liphimbo Labomake revealed concerns around the continued rise in the GBV cases even post-enactment of the SODV Act of 2018. Liphimbo laboMake is a women’s coalition whose mission is to create a forum where women meet to engage in collective activism on issues affecting women and girls in Eswatini.

The organization expressed disappointment towards the public’s reaction to media reports describing some of the comments as “insensitive and appalling” to say the least.

The organization also advised Emaswati to adopt a no tollarance attitude to violance and avoid justifying killings of women and children in the country.

“We should act to support those who have lost their loved ones through such deplorable acts and work towards eradicating this scourge in a collected and concerted effort to ensure that the law takes its course,” appealed the organization.

On Friday, Civil Society Groups and Political parties led by the One Billion Rising Eswatini met with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister where the groups requested him to among other demands, declare the Gender-Based Violence as a National Emergency.  

The full list of demands that were tabled by the organizations are as follows.

1. Declare Gender Based Violence as a National Emergency
2. Established clear strategies to respond to GBV. These strategies must have allocated resources for implantation.
3. We call for swift action on GBV cases. The DPM’s office must compel the DPP’s Office and police to act swiftly.

Organizations that we represented during the meeting were One Billion Rising Eswatini Campaign, Domestic Union, Liphimbo Labo Make, Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly, Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse, SNAT Gender Office, International Community of Women living with HIV, NNLC Women’s Wing, PUDEMO Women’s Wing and SNUS.