Title: An analysis of the relevance of a grand strategy in order to reduce gender-based violence in Zimbabwe

Authors: Darlington Mutanda; Howard Rukondo

Addresses: History Department, War and Strategic Studies Unit, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP 167 Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe ' Mutero High School, Private Bag 920, Gutu, Zimbabwe

Abstract: This article admits that gender-based violence manifests itself in a number of ways such as domestic violence, physical violence, sexual violence and psychological violence to mention but a few. However, this article focuses on rape which is the dominant form of sexual violence mainly because of the harm it brings on the victims, especially in this era of HIV and AIDS. The research argues that rape is one of the most terrible forms of gender-based violence because it knows no boundaries, be it age, gender, colour or creed. It is in this context that this paper argues that rape should be nipped in the bud for the creation of safer and peaceful communities. This therefore calls for a grand strategy as is articulated in the paper.

Keywords: gender-based violence; GBV; rape; HIV; AIDS; grand strategy; transformative masculinity; liberative reading; Zimbabwe; violence reduction; sexual violence; female abuse.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2015.067931

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2015 Vol.1 No.1, pp.90 - 105

Received: 25 Jan 2014
Accepted: 19 Nov 2014
Published online: 31 Mar 2015 *

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