In Swaziland one in every three women has been sexually abused as a child according to a survey conducted by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which was released in April 2011. According to the survey, not only has one in three Swazi women experienced a degree of sexual abuse as a child, but an additional one in four had experienced physical violence. This groundbreaking survey was a first to be carried out in a country where ‘anecdotal evidence’ has placed startlingly high numbers of girls are victims of sexual and physical abuse.The report has not just focused on the current situation, but the frightening look forward for female Swazi children as the number of orphans in the country continue to grow at a substantial rate due to high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS. The country's growing number of orphans and vulnerable children are ripe for sexual exploitation, a fear which could soon turn to a reality and show even more girls abused than the current survey has reported. One factor for the large scale number of orphans in the country is due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which UNICEF estimates will leave some 200,000 Swazi children orphans in the next two years alone, this is more than one-fifth of the country's current population.
“Disabled children, children out of school and orphans are some of the most vulnerable groups,” said Jama Gulaid, UNICEF representative in Swaziland. “Poverty and the high prevalence of HIV create high numbers of marginalized children.”
Compassion Swaziland recognises that Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a phenomenon that has negative implications on the development of the child. The negative implications of GBV have the potential to negatively impact on the child’s mental and physical development. To this end Compassionate Swaziland works towards the following critical areas as a way to minimise GBV;
· Advocacy against Gender Based Violence (GBV) as a driver to new HIV infections and a phenomenon that negatively affects child development.
· Educating communities on negative implication of GBV on child development, women’s health and economic development.
· Lobby for policy changes that promote women’s leadership and economic roles.
· Promoting education of teenage mothers.
· Engaging men and communities to effectively participate in advocacy against GBV.
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