Mbire women launch SASA! Together campaign to fight GBV and child marriage in Mashonaland Central

Mbire women launch SASA! Together campaign to fight GBV and child marriage in Mashonaland Central
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MBIRE – Women in Mbire District have started a community-led campaign aimed at reducing gender-based violence (GBV) and child marriage, using the Start, Awareness, Support, Action (SASA!) Together model.

The programme was introduced last week by ActionAid Zimbabwe through its Mbire Local Rights Programme. The organisation said the intention is to ensure “women understand it, own it, and lead it”.

Mashonaland Central has the highest rate of child marriage in Zimbabwe at 49%, with Mbire identified as one of the districts most affected. ActionAid said the initiative has begun in Wards 7 and 15 as an initial step towards expanding to other parts of the district.

As part of the rollout, 30 SASA champions, community leaders and other stakeholders were trained to facilitate local dialogues focused on challenging harmful social norms and improving protection pathways for women and girls.

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“We know GBV and child marriage thrive where information is scarce, dialogue is unsafe and local leadership is sidelined. So we are changing that,” ActionAid said in a statement.

ActionAid said the approach is designed to place women at the centre of organising and decision-making. “Through these community dialogues, SASA champions are gaining the confidence and skills to spark change in their own neighbourhood – expanding ward by ward, year by year,” the organisation said.

“We are deliberate about ending violence against women and girls in Mbire. We want to see women at the front, driving action against GBV and child marriage because they know what’s at stake and they know what needs to change,” ActionAid added.

The organisation said the overall aim is to support communities to build safer environments, stressing that “every woman and girl deserves to live free from violence”.

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