Gender Based Violence (GBV) is one of the world’s leading factors of female mortality. Globally, studies show that at least 81,000 women and girls were killed in 2020. This is coupled with an estimate of at least 736 million women been subjected to physical or sexual violence from their partners, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. Studies also show that 35% of women worldwide are affected by GBV, while almost half of all women over the age of 15 have experienced physical violence and one-third of women surveyed had experienced physical violence in the past year in Zambia alone (http://www.internationalinspiration.org/women-and-girls).
Copper Rose Zambia has implemented the Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) program which is a comprehensive, evidence-based prevention program that trains and motivates athletic coaches to teach their young male athletes healthy relationship skills and that violence never equals strength. CBIM addresses the necessity of involving boys and men in dialogue regarding gender based violence, a serious pandemic that is often framed exclusively as a ‘women’s issue’. The combination of community football and anti-GBV educational sessions serve as a safe space where young boys and men can discuss the preconceived notion of masculinity and behaviors surrounding it.
On the 24th of September 2022, the exhilarating Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) tournament and graduation was held at OYDC from 9:30-14:30 PM and nearly 1,000 people attended. The day was filled with passion, joy, and laughter from the graduating boys who put up an exceptional football tournament. The event was graced by the Honorable Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts Elvis Nkandu who left his busy day at parliament to join us as the Guest of Honor as he cheered on the players and supported the cause. The various athletic coaches played an extremely influential and unique role in the lives of their adolescent players as they delivered 15-20 minute anti-GBV educational lessons for a series of 12 weeks during soccer practices. These special relationships between coaches and players positively influence how young men behave and think, both on and off the field.
Using CBIM as the primary prevention package for boys aged 10-24 year is the beginning of the new era where young men are drivers of anti GBV messages to make it a thing of the past. And as Copper Rose Zambia, we are very happy to be part of this initiative at the forefront of youth-led development work against GBV.
