The United Nations marked the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence from November 25 to December 10, 2021. We at Cape {town} Etc will be using our platform to raise awareness over this period.
“Gender-based violence and femicide is not a secondary priority. It is not a women’s issue. Gender-based violence is overwhelmingly and unequivocally a human rights issue.” – President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Day 9: Holding the government accountable when it comes to GBV
Today marks day 9 of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence . It’s still a long way to the top and it appears that South Africa continues to take two steps forward and five steps back.
A few weeks ago, the ministry of police released the latest crime statistics for South Africa. Horrendous is one word used to describe the stats, but there’s likely no word in the English dictionary that encapsulates the sheer horror that comes with the high levels of crime against women and children within our nation’s borders.
897 women were murdered, 64 more when compared to the same quarter for the previous year. That’s an increase of 7.7%. Unfortunately, children weren’t safe from the violence either, with 287 children murdered during this quarter. Compare this to the 218 children murdered the previous year and you would see an increase of 31.7%. These are only the bodies that were reported or found, can you imagine how many other undiscovered women and children there are hidden between the brush and sand dunes of South Africa.
Sexual offence cases saw an increase of 4.7%, with 9 556 rapes between July and September, an increase of 7.1% when comparing the previous year’s second quarter of 8 922, reports News24.
Again, these are only the rapes that have been reported. How many women have refused to report their offenders because they feared for their lives?
The COVID-19 pandemic has merely shone a bigger spotlight on gender-based violence in South Africa, as lockdown forced countless women and children to spend weeks locked away with their abusers. Dr. Marlene Wasserman attributes the high levels of violence against women and children during the pandemic to anxiety and frustration.
“Men are living with higher levels of anxiety and frustration, and if you’re in a context of COVID-19 where there is unemployment, loss of jobs and of health, then that escalates. That’s why we’ve seen such high cases of gender-based violence globally during this time,” she noted during one of her talks.
While South Africa cries out in pain, it’s not enough to merely bring awareness to this gaping wound, but the government needs to be held accountable. Eradicating GBVF by 2030 has been on the government’s to-do list, along with the promise to establish a National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide with a R21 billion plan approved.
However, this has not materialised. In August 2021, women took to the streets with a Post Office to Parliament campaign to address the stagnation of focus on GBVF in South Africa.
“The Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, heard us and pledged that the National Council on GBVF would be in place by the end of December 2021,” stated Masimbulele Buso, Managing Director of The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation.
Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery seems to echo this sentiment of accountability. According to Jeffery, the government needs to fight the scourge through legislation and courts.
“There are three new pieces of legislation which strengthen our response to GBV and the protection of survivors of GBV in significant ways. We have Sexual Offences Courts which offer a number of victim-support services such as, amongst others, court preparation services and intermediaries who convey questions and statements received from the court to the victim in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner.
“We make use of in-camera testifying services for children, persons with mental disabilities, and all traumatised victims, irrespective of age,” he said.
There’s no question that psychology plays a role when it comes to abuse as we have come to understand that it is often a learned behaviour. However, it’s a choice to abuse notes Paula Quinsee, a passionate GBV advocate.
The behaviour can be changed if the abuser is willing to take responsibility for their behaviour and make sustainable changes through rehabilitation and healing,” she says.
Here are a few ways we can join the fight against gender-based violence:
- Being an activist against GBV in our homes, communities, work and positions.
- Challenging cultures and practices that perpetuate gender inequalities and lead to the abuse of women and children at a personal and societal level.
- Rejecting and reporting abusers – act and don’t look away.
- Not protecting abusers, report them.
- Challenging and denouncing cultural practices that perpetuate gender inequalities.
- Being sensitive and supportive to GBV victims – share helpful information and support causes near you.
- Seeking personal help to change harmful behaviour such as alcohol and substance abuse
- Teaching children values of respect and gender equality.
- Protecting children from exposure to violence and harmful content on internet and social media, including pornography and sexual solicitation.
- Developing policies that prevent and deal with gender-based violence in your sector, workplace and communities.
- Organising targeted community outreach and dialogues on solutions towards a gender equal society
Gender based violence resources South Africa:
- Rape Crisis Cape Town Hotline: 021 447 9762
- South African GBV Hotline: 0800 428 428
- Tears Foundation: 010 590 5920 / www.tears.co.za / [email protected]
- Childline South Africa: 0800 055 555 / www.childline.org.za / [email protected]
- People Opposed to Woman Abuse: 011 642 4345 / www.powa.co.za / [email protected]
- Community Intervention Centre Helpline: 082 821 3447
- Free Legal Advice on WhatsApp (LawForAll): 063 603 3759
- Stop Domestic Violence Helpline (Lifeline): 0800 150 150
- Suicide Helpline: 0800 567 567
- SAPS: 10111
- National Counselling Line: 0861 322 322
- Legal Aid: 0800 110 110
Useful websites:
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