Government acts against widespread abuse of girls

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has welcomed a commitment by Zambia to address allegations of widespread sexual abuse of young girls. The international rights group on Thursday reported it had received a letter from the office of President Levy Mwanawasa stating that an inter-ministerial programme would be established to address the issue of sexual abuse. The move followed a damning report by HRW in January which detailed sexual abuse and other rights abuses of Zambian girls, especially those orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The report said that due to widespread sexual abuse, girls in Zambia were five times more likely to be infected with HIV than boys. "It is no accident that HIV prevalence is five times higher among girls than boys under age 18 in Zambia," Janet Fleischman, Washington director for Africa Division of HRW said at the launch of the report. "Young girls are preyed upon by older men, including those who dare call themselves guardians or caretakers of these girls, and the government fails to protect them." HRW has accused authorities of often being insensitive and ineffective in enforcing anti-sexual abuse laws in Zambia, leading to girls being reluctant to report abuse. The organisation said it would follow up closely on the government's commitment when the programme was established. The full report