Response to GBV must match the scale of crisis
THIS year marks 56 years since South African women marched to the Union Buildings against oppressive apartheid laws. Now, nearly three decades into democracy, the status of women who are the most vulnerable group in our society has worsened.
This is explained in part by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing gender inequities and made the evil of gender-based violence (GBV) more pronounced in our society.
Whereas our Constitution guarantees the full equality and dignity of women’s rights, the reality is that their bodies remain far from being safe and secure.
As a society, we have normalised taking extraordinary safety measures to protect girls and women from the risk of rapists and killers everywhere.
Our schools, playgrounds, restaurants, workplaces or worse, inside their own home, are all spaces that are not spared as potential crime scenes where a woman may be attacked. This is not surprising given that Statistics SA’s Report on Crimes Against Women in South Africa reveals that the femicide rate in our country is five times more than the global average. Ours is an unsafe country for women.
This point is also emphasised by the feminist scholar and author, Professor Pumla Gqola, in her latest book, Female Fear Factor. Gqola argues that South African black women in particular are haunted by the fear of violence daily. She further notes that resolving this issue requires all of us to be intentional in rejecting some of the patriarchal traditions and practices. That includes us not looking the other way and silently minding our own business each time a woman is being abused but calling out and shaming the perpetrators.
We can no longer afford to regard abuse as a private matter when it is causing massive public damage. In any democratic and morally upright society, the constant media coverage and visible outcry over GBV and femicide cases would be considered enough of an appeal to the collective consciousness of all citizens and motivate a change for the better. Sadly, that has not been the case in our country.
According to SAPS crime statistics, there is a marked increase in the number of contact crimes against women, including GBV acts and femicide, whenever there is a lockdown. What is more worrying is that some of these crimes remain under-reported.
Evidence by UN Women suggests that less than 40% of women who are victims of violence report it or seek help, due to various reasons. One of these reasons, we know, is that our justice system has not done well in properly investigating and locking up perpetrators of GBV.
In such instances, women are forced to bear the brunt of their victimhood as vulnerable beings who, according to their assailants, invite crime upon themselves. With that said, more sensitisation work also needs to take place among our police as they are tasked with handling the reported cases and ensuring safety.
Here we cannot underestimate the importance of providing sufficient funding for health and social services to support women and children because it is vital in minimising the prevalence of GBV and femicide. As part of this year’s Women’s Month, the IFP Women’s Brigade implores all citizens, especially men, to take a stand against GBV.
The response we give to GVB and femicide must match the scale of this crisis. As a society, we need to break the silence and fear which contributes to the pandemic of GBV and femicide.
Just like the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has been about behavioural changes, we also have to change the perverse attitudes which justify the mistreatment of women by some men in our society.
There is room for everyone to lend a hand in improving and strengthening the support measures for victims of GBV. We can do this by turning our own homes, schools, workplaces, churches, homes, clinics and police stations into safe avenues where victims can access help.
The message should be simple and consistent – there is no excuse nor tolerance for violence against women and children.