A recommendation has been made to amend the regulation for the Zones of Special Operations, (ZOSO) so that it incorporates a focus on tackling gender based violence.

It was made by United Nations Development Programme representative, Carol Watson Williams, at today’s siting of the joint select committee reviewing the zoso.

Mrs. Watson Williams pointed to the need to include provisions which focus on preventing and responding to family violence within communities under the zoso.

She also noted concern about the issue of sexual harassment and abuse allegedly by members of the security forces.

The UNDP wants the regulations to also stipulate that the security forces have a written reporting and accountability system regarding sexual exploitation.

Mrs Watson Williams has also called for changes to social intervention committee composition and mandate of the zones of special operations, zoso.

The changes would stipulate that an officer assigned to the zoso, is designated as responsible for gender based violence.

She said the UNDP noted an absence of the issue of family violence or violence against women and girls,

She said the UNDP considers this a key matter, which needs to be specified in the issues to be addressed in the sustainable development plan, developed for each zone, and around which urgent interventions should be implemented.

Mrs. Watson Williams also noted the connection between violence generally, and the expressions of masculinity which tend to have negative cultural and social stereotypes.

She said a more holistic approach to violence against women is needed.

Another recommendation is for the sustainable development plan for each zone to expressly include intervention programmes focused on producing non-violent masculinities