From November 18th to November 19th, 2021, MenEngage eSwatini hosted an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Symposium. The symposium was combined with the commemoration of International Men’s Day.
The activity was held at the Gallery Hotel in Matsapha. It was attended by guests from various sectors, including network members, youth, differently abled people, government officials, UNFPA country office, legislature, LGBTQI+, night clubs’ owners, public transport sector, religious community, and traditional leaders.
During the meeting, the study on the drivers of intimate partner violence in eSwatini was presented, and it was an eye opener on a number of issues as it made it clear that the interventions in the country are somewhat misdirected. It also highlighted that there is a need to move from reactive interventions to pro-active interventions as more preventative interventions are needed.
During the deliberations, it came out clear that there is a strong need for reprograming to ensure that the interventions are youth friendly as youth form 70% of the population of Eswatini.
They further submitted that there is an issue of unaccountability among those holding public office, whereby if one holds them accountable, they see that individual as rebelling.
Another issue is that even the national budget does not talk about the needs of the masses, and that is partly contributed to by the fact that the budget is prepared by the minority group, which means the masses are not well thought of. As a result, more money will be spent on things that aren’t a top priority for the general public.