THE iconic 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence ran from November 25 to December 10 last year, under the global theme: UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is often referred to in sombre statistics — the number of women abused, lives lost, homes broken. But behind each statistic is a mind wounded, a spirit battered, and a future forever altered.
In Zimbabwe, where GBV remains pervasive, the fight against violence must go beyond law enforcement. It must also be a fight for mental wellness, emotional intelligence and collective healing.
As a mind coach, I believe that to end GBV, we must begin with the mind, because healing and prevention begins there.
A closer look at part of the statistics can help us understand the gravity of the matter and how much, as society, we need to start thinking seriously about how to end this scourge:
- In Zimbabwe, about one in three women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence, and about one in four women have experienced sexual violence, since the age of 15, (2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey — United Nations Population Fund);
- Approximately 39,4% of women have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, while an estimated 11,6% have faced sexual violence (World Bank);
- Combined, some estimates put the share of women over 15 who have experienced either physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner at around 44% (United Nations), and
- During just half a year, one NGO documented over 20 000 reports of GBV by women and girls who sought help. That right there is a sobering sign that these figures may only represent the “tip of the iceberg.” (The Zimbabwe Independent).
These numbers do tell a story. GBV is not occasional or isolated. It is systemic. It is endemic. The sad part is this — it thrives in silence and shame. When we talk about GBV, the physical violence is only part of the story. The deeper, often hidden wounds are emotional and psychological.
Surviving a violent episode may bring obvious scars, for example bruises, hospital visits, legal proceedings etc. but the mental and emotional aftermaths often linger for years, sometimes lifetimes, causing silent untold suffering.
These include, but not limited to:
- Ngozi Mine’s young mothers suffering in silence
- School of sport: MAN UNITED IN GLORY
- CAPS United dismiss player strike reports
- CAPS United rob Wha Wha
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- Post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression;
- Distrust, hypervigilance, emotional numbness;
- Shame, self-blame, isolation;
- Chronic stress, fatigue, possible physical health issues linked to prolonged trauma; and
- Disrupted sense of safety, identity and self-worth.
Research globally confirms that experiencing abuse from an intimate partner is strongly associated with elevated risks for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders and other long-term mental health issues.
For many survivors, the end of physical abuse does not mean the end of suffering.
Their nervous systems remain on high alert, their minds trapped in a loop of fear, pain and low self-esteem.
Prevention must start in the mind
To meaningfully reduce GBV, legal frameworks, police action and shelter services, as critical as they are, must be complemented by prevention at the mental and emotional level. Here’s why:
Emotional dysregulation, trauma
Very often, perpetrators of GBV are not inherently “monsters”, but persons whose emotional wounds — maybe from childhood trauma, toxic socialisation of masculinity, unresolved anger or stress — were never addressed. When stress, frustration, anger or insecurity build up and there is no healthy outlet or emotional regulation, violence becomes the misguided outlet. When people are taught even from a young age, how to release emotional build-up, lifetime suffering will be reduced if not terminated.
Safe spaces to heal
In communities where mental health is still stigmatised, survivors of violence often feel shame, blame themselves and are reluctant to seek help even where services exist. This perpetuates cycles of silence, guilt and re-traumatisation.
Across generations if unaddressed
Children, who grow up witnessing, hearing or suffering violence, internalise trauma and distorted norms around power, relationships and emotional expression. Without intervention, they may repeat those patterns unconsciously, either as victims or perpetrators.
Breaking the GBV cycle must include healing and strengthening minds, building emotional intelligence, teaching healthy communication and creating emotionally safe homes. As a mind coach, I propose a mental-health-centred roadmap, not to replace systemic change or legal justice, but to complement them and help build the foundation for sustainable transformation.
Raise emotional literacy
Introduce programmes that teach children and young people to identify, name and express emotions; to communicate needs and boundaries; to handle conflict without aggression. Encourage families to practise open, honest conversations about feelings, stress, boundaries and respect.
Integrate mental health support
When survivors come forward for legal or shelter support, ensure access to trauma-informed counselling, safe spaces, support groups, not just physical protection.
Empower survivors with tools such as grounding, breathing practices, nervous-system reset rituals, journaling and mindfulness — to help them reclaim inner safety.
Engage men, boys
Organise workshops that challenge harmful stereotypes that link masculinity with dominance, control, or emotional suppression.
Promote alternative models of strength: emotional resilience, empathy, communication and respect. Encourage community and peer-led support networks where men can process stress, trauma and vulnerabilities without shame.
Promote social accountability
Neighbours, community leaders and faith organisations can all play a role in fostering cultures of respect, empathy and mutual support. Encourage bystander intervention, peer accountability, reporting, community dialogues about gender norms and violence.
Public awareness
More regular media coverage of GBV (not just during activism days) — including stories of healing, mental health and recovery — to break stigma. Government and civil society must invest in mental-health resources, psychological services and community-based support, over and above shelters or policing. Policies should include mental health care as part of GBV response frameworks.
Realistic challenges
Some survivors never report abuse because of shame, fear of stigma or retaliation and lack of trust in institutions.
According to one survey, almost half of Zimbabweans believe a woman who reports GBV is likely to be criticised, harassed or shamed. Underreporting means statistics will always under-estimate the true scale. Psychological scars are often invisible; survivors may wear a brave face, while inside they struggle with depression, anxiety or dissociation. Because the problem is complex, our response must be holistic — not only arrest and prosecution, but healing for minds and communities.
GBV healing is possible. And Zimbabwe can lead the way. Zimbabwe has already taken steps toward structural change. The government has done in a lot in launching national strategies that address GBV issues, thereby signalling political will to tackle the crisis. To complement government efforts, we must start working seriously at the human system that drives attitudes and behaviours — the mind! When the mind heals, behaviour changes. And when behaviour changes, we reclaim homes as sanctuaries of safety, respect and love.
Conclusion
As a mental-health practitioner, mindset coach and wellness advocate with a passion for mental fitness, emotional balance and human dignity, I am committed to make the above possible. Together with other coaches, teachers, pastors and all stakeholders, our voices can shift the focus from numbers and outrage to healing, resilience, prevention and hope. GBV prevention is not only a human-rights issue, but a mental-health one. GBV is not only a social problem, but a wound in the mind and spirit; not only a crime, but a call for help and healing.
Mhaka was the 2025 Mental Health Coach of the Year and Overall Coach of the Year. She is an executive director of BeMindFit. These weekly New Horizon articles published in the Zimbabwe Independent are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society (ZES) and past president of the Chartered Governance & Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. — [email protected]/ cell: +263 772 382 852.
