GENDER roles have always been well defined and firmly entrenched in African traditional society. But slowly, these roles are fading away as men are leaving the masculine roles to women.
With regard to agriculture, men are expected to play a pivotal role in the production of food for both consumption and sale. But today the scenario is changing.
Currently, women constitute more than 80 percent of the labour force in agriculture in Zambia. This situation is evident in Kazungula district where the major players in farming activities are women, while men spend more time drinking beer from neighbouring Botswana and Namibia.
Some women still feel that the men have neglected their roles as heads of families and left responsibility to their wives. They believe this is a clear form of gender-based violence.
The United Nations defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
Ms Bronah Sitali of Kazungula says gender-based violence also exists in agriculture because once the produce is ready, their husbands take charge of selling the produce to Food Reserve Agency (FRA) or private buyers.
Ms Sitali, a small-scale farmer, says gender-based violence does not only apply to wife battery, but that even in the distribution of resources gender violence also occurs.
“I think gender-based violence is not only when a husband beats his wife. Even in the distribution of resources like here, women are involved in farming while their husbands go drinking.
“But surprisingly when it is time to sell the produce to FRA or other private buyers, it is our husbands who take a centre role as if we do not know where the FRA depots are. I think it is a violation of our rights because we do not see the money after toiling for the whole farming season,” Ms Sitali says.
Many women, especially in rural areas, are victims of gender-based violence and seem to have accepted it and is now part of their lives.
Another woman, Etambuyu Liswaniso, says most men in Kazungula are unproductive, as they spend most of their time getting their goods into Zambia.
Ms Liswaniso says instead of turning to farming during the rainy season, most men continue to spend time at the border drinking beer and pottering around.
“Our men here in Kazungula are a problem and we end up accommodating their ill behaviours because of the children. Most families are looked after by women and not because they just want to, but because their husbands are irresponsible.
When it comes to farming, it is the women who are in the forefront but when it is time to sell the produce, it is their husbands that take up the responsibility. Worse still, when they are paid, all the money is spent on beer instead of school requirements for the children,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Ms Liswaniso also says levels of literacy are low in Kazungula. She attributes this to irresponsible husbands who cannot take care of their children’s school needs.
“Fathers are supposed to be role models in every home but the scenario here is different. our children have no one to look to for life skills because their fathers spend their time in taverns and only come home at night when the children are asleep,” she says.
It is unfortunate that despite the major strides Zambia has made in the fight against gender-based violence, the vice still exists in many areas and is now manifesting in agriculture.
But a Kazungula man Benson Nyanga says the time spent at the border is valuable because whatever money he makes, he uses it to support his family.
“It is true that men here solely devote their time to helping smugglers and other traders at the border.
This is the way of life and through this, I support my family while my wife remains home performing other duties like going to the fields.
“It is true to say that it is the women that are involved in agriculture here in Kazungula but not to say that men are unproductive. I also support my wife and children whenever I have money from my usual business,” Mr Nyanga says.
On excessive beer drinking, Mr Nyanga admits that beer drinking is rife among men in Kazungula but should not be attributed to their failure to support their families.
Kazungula district commissioner Albert Chifita also admits that most men in Kazungula, especially those along the Zambezi River, are unproductive.
The commissioner says women in Kazungula are the ones in charge of food production for their families.
“It is embarrassing in our Zambian culture to see men shunning their responsibility to be heads of their families and instead burden the women in looking after them and their children,” he says.
Even when it comes to attending workshops or meetings on new interventions in agriculture, it is the men who attend such functions and never use the knowledge acquired.
“There are a lot of invitations that come through the community leadership on educational meetings on agriculture like conservation farming and it is our ‘unproductive’ husbands who attend such.
“At the end of the meeting, they go back to the taverns instead of applying the knowledge acquired to better the way of farming and food production for their families,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Asked on how best gender-based violence can be prevented and fought, Ms Liswaniso suggests that there should be efforts with positive outcomes like sensitising teenagers on gender violence to reduce chances of their acceptability of violence.
Other efforts that Ms Liswaniso thinks can help prevent the vice are programmes that support children who have witnessed intimate partner violence and frequent awareness campaigns with men and boys to change attitudes towards gender inequities.
“I think our children have to be taught early enough on gender-based violence. We are victims to violence because we were not taught and we have just come to accept it as part of life,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Wider knowledge of available resources for abused women, including legal assistance, housing and child care, can reduce the consequences of violence.
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