Livingstone  district records more gender-based violence cases in summer as opposed to winter because partners become more intimate in the cold season, says Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) district coordinator Christine Mutema. She said there is likely to be an increase in the number of such cases now that the cold season has ended.

Ms Mutema, who is also Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) district para-legal officer, said a survey conducted recently revealed that the reduction in the number of cases in winter can be attributed to intimacy shared in a relationship. “A survey that we conducted here recently revealed that, starting from April to July monthend, we record few cases. The people we interviewed said during the cold season, couples rarely engage in differences.

“We only have a rise in the cases sometime after the cold season. We even anticipate a rise starting from August up to March next year,” she said.
Ms Mutema said the men interviewed during the survey said they spend most of their time out during summer and only return to their homes at night or in the wee hours, thereby causing couples to have differences.

On the issue of GBV reports, she said there are more reports than before because of awareness campaigns to have such cases reported to the relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, Ms Mutema has also called on like-minded organisations in the tourist capital not to divert their attention to HIV and AIDS at the expense of sexual reproductive health. “It is our duty to teach these young people. We have a lot of cases of adolescents engaging in premature sex, falling pregnant and later on endangering their lives by attempting to abort because a lot of organisations have diverted from sexual reproductive health to HIV and AIDS,” she said.