By Correspondent
Poor service delivery has worsened gender based violence as women have continued to suffer in their quest to access various services such as water, a local organisation has said.
In recognition of the 16 days of activism against gender based violence, the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) says the failure by both local authority and government to address the water crisis has exacerbated the gender based violence situation for women.
“The situation has been compounded by the closure of clinics in the City, women and girls have been denied access to maternal and reproductive health services at local clinics with some lost lives.
“Closure of clinics where rapes victims are supposed to report and attended for post exposure prophylaxis is unacceptable.
CHRA added that “the failure by the government to come up with an efficient public transportation has exposed women to many forms of abuse”.
“We are further concerned that institutions of government have become major culprits in violation of women’s rights such as teargasing of passengers in buses, closure of clinics and poor water delivery”.
“We assert our position that restoration of a functional health and water service delivery system will be a genuine and practical step towards addressing gender based violence in our City”, it said.
As a way of improving the status of service delivery in the city CHRA has noted various measures which can be taken.
These include reopening closed clinics, improving water supplies in urban local authorities by investing in water infrastructure, removing ZUPCO monopoly which has caused serious public transportation crisis and devolving governmental powers to allow communities to manage their own affairs.
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