Maseru, March, 4 – Gender based Violence (GBV) comes in as one of the issues that need collaborative efforts towards its end.This was said by the Coordinator of One Billion Rising Lesotho when revealing that the organization held a festival with students from the National University of Lesotho towards eradicating gender based violence.According to Mrs. Sakoane the purpose of that festival was to celebrate as the nation, echoing ongoing calls to end this pandemic.

Mrs Sakoane indicated that  stakeholders who participated are Vodacom, Alliance, Ministry of Gender, LGBTQ+ society, People’s matrix and She-Hive association.She said  GBV is a  challenge in Lesotho and approximately two in every three women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime.Dr. Godfrey Hove, on behalf of the Dean of Faculty of Humanities, noted that this festival was hosted on the most appropriate day as the world celebrates love.

While the physical consequences of gender-based violence are well- documented, the psychological effects are often overlooked. Research has shown that survivors of violence are at increased risk for a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.