For years, Thandiwe Zulu endured what she can only describes as a “slow disappearance” of who she once was. So when the time came that she finally gathered the courage to walk away from her abusive 10-year marriage, she simply did just that: walk away.
“I had packed nothing. Just my phone and my handbag. I thought if I don’t go now, I may never make it out alive,” Zulu told DW.
Her story mirrors those of thousands of women in Zambia navigating the persistent crisis of gender-based violence (GBV).
According to the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, nearly half of all women there had experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence in their lifetime; experts warn, however, that the true number is likely higher, as stigma and fear mean that many cases remain unreported.
GBV: Millions still ‘trapped’
In Africa and indeed around the globe, the fight against GBV is gaining momentum. Zambia has developed strong legal frameworks to tackle GBV, including the Anti-GBV Act of 2011 and the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence. Yet, there remains a canyon between official policy and practice.
Anne Mwale-Anamela, Executive Director of the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC), says the country continues to struggle with the underlying forces driving such violence:
“We can have strong laws, but if communities still believe violence is a private matter or a normal part of marriage, then survivors remain silent and trapped,” Mwale-Anamela explains from her office in Lusaka.
“GBV is deeply rooted in power, inequality, and social expectations,” she adds, noting that while awareness campaigns have improved the public understanding of the issue, access to services remains uneven.
Many rural districts, for example, lack shelters, trained counselors and legal support structures. Transport, staffing shortages, and limited community outreach also continue to affect response times and survivor support as well as police units lacking the right legal knowledge and resources to tackle GBV.
These shortcomings leave many survivors with few options beyond returning to abusive homes.
VP Nulamango calls for cultural change
For many years, reporting violence to authorities had been treated only as a last resort but government officials insist they are committed to strengthening protection systems.
“We know that many survivors fear being blamed or not being taken seriously,” says police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, acknowledging challenges for authorities to gain public trust.
But the problem of GBV, he explains, doesn’t only exclusively affect adult women; over three quarters of all GBV cases taken to criminal prosecution involve girls; among the statistics applicable to children and minors, about a quarter of all criminal cases meanwhile have boys as the victim.
“We cannot allow GBV to weaken our families and our nation,” Vice President Mutale Nalumango stressed in a recent speech, emphasizing that GBV undermines not only the safety of individuals but also the fabric of Zambia’s society.
“It is therefore critical that women get empowered and the cultural norms and practices that oppress them are eradicated, thereby raising their status,” she said.
Male activists join fight against GBV
Activists, however, argue that progress is slowed by inadequate funding: Shelters often have to rely heavily on donations, while psychosocial support services and legal aid are stretched thin.
To truly address the roots of the problem, advocates say harmful gender norms must be challenged; this is the focus of MenEngage Zambia, a movement working with boys and men to rethink traditional ideas of masculinity.
Golden Nachibinga, one of its long-standing members, believes that transformation must begin at an early age: “If boys grow up believing that strength means control, then violence becomes normal to them,” he told DW.
“We are teaching men that real strength is empathy, responsibility, and respect. Masculinity should never be a threat; it should be a source of protection.”
MenEngage runs sessions in schools, churches, and community centers, encouraging men to speak openly about identity, emotional well-being, and healthy relationships.
Nachibinga says that the response to the initiative has been encouraging, but long-term change requires sustained engagement and greater national visibility.
Reaching hearts and minds on digital platfroms
Meanwhile, a new generation of young gender activists is increasingly turning to digital platforms to amplify the conversation.
Angela Nyirenda, a human rights and gender activist-turned -digital campaigner, uses Facebook, TikTok, Instagram Reels and short-form explainers to educate young people about GBV, its warning signs, and the availability of local resources.
“The internet is our megaphone,” she told DW, highlighting how these narratives can and do reach women in other parts of Africa as well.
“You can reach thousands of girls in minutes; girls who don’t attend workshops or live far from support services. We meet them where they already are: on their phones.”
However, the digital space is not always safe for activists, either; Nyirenda says she regularly faces online harassment, cyberbullying, and gendered insults from people who oppose her work, or see gender equality as a threat.
“But silence protects the abuser more than the abused. If we don’t talk about it, nothing changes,” she says, doubling down on her message.
People like Thandiwe Zulu meanwhile have long joined the likes of Nyirenda: She now volunteers in community WhatsApp groups that offer emotional support, information about safe houses, and guidance on how to document abuse or seek protection orders.
“There are days I feel strong and days I don’t. Healing is not a straight line,” she admits, hoping that her story can nonetheless help others.
“I want every woman to know she is not alone. And [that] she deserves peace — real peace — no matter where she comes from.”
Voices against silence growing stronger and louder
For scholars like Charity Musamba of the University of Zambia, these emerging voices are essential — though deeper structural issues remain.
“GBV thrives in environments where violence is normalized, where women’s autonomy is questioned, and where economic dependency traps survivors,” she explains.
“Ending GBV requires cultural re-education. We must redefine what love, respect, authority, and partnership mean within families.”
Musamba argues that lasting, transformative change requires sustained collaboration between government, civil society, traditional leaders, and the media.
But can also see that change beginning to take root: Across Zambia, the voices pushing back against gender-based violence are growing louder — from survivors to policymakers, from police to digital activists, they are all reshaping the national conversation and insisting on a future where every woman and girl can live free from fear.
Edited by: Sertan Sanderson
