By Hilda Tanga
MARONDERA-The community of Melfort has thrown its full support behind the global ‘No Means No’ initiative, a worldwide movement promoting consent, respect and healthy relationships.
The No Means No Worldwide (NMNW) is a global rape prevention organisation whose mission is to end sexual violence against women and children.
Its innovative dual-gender No Means No programmes are systems of knowledge and strategies that end the cycle of violence by teaching girls to set boundaries, stand up and defend themselves, and boys to challenge rape culture, ask for consent and intervene in attack.
NMNW works with powerful partners across the world to replicate the systems for sexual violence prevention and advocate for a greater global response to addressing this crisis.
According to research done by the WHO and partners, 35 percent of women globally and 45 percent of women in Africa experience sexual violence in their lifetime therefore this outreach is a great movement in helping the community end violence.
Residents in Melfort are working with the NMNW mentors Sarudzai Jeke and Rutendo Kaupo, to educate and raise awareness of the importance of healthy relationships and boundaries.
Kaupo said that since the initiative was introduced in the area three years ago, there has been positive responses from parents and guardians as well youth members because of the increased awareness of the importance of consent.
“There has been less and less incidents of rape in the community as almost all the youths are taking part in the outreach. Our outreach programmes also teaches girls about self-defense, techniques, empowerment and confidence, healthy relationship education, boundary setting. Girls are taught many mental and verbal strategies that they can use in an attack situation before using their physical skills
“We teach skills that stop an attack where it starts. Our goal is to end the conflict immediately and get away. As an organisation we also emphasise that physical defense should only be used if it is her best or only option,” Kaupo said.
The outreach also caters for rape and assault victims as it offers a robust network referral system to connect the victims with support services. The mentors also applauded the Tell Campaign which encourages abuse victims to tell or confide in a trusted adult. Victims feel empowered to share their stories and seek support.
Added Kaupo: “The girls freely confide in us of their ordeals because we create a safe and comfortable platform as we tell them that speaking out about the abuse is an important step towards healing.”
The Melfort community is now engaged because the outreach has encouraged community members to get involved, promoting a sense of ownership and responsibility for creating positive change.
The NMNW is crucial in promoting a safer and more respectful world for everyone. By supporting this movement, Melfort residents are helping to create a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered.
