Violence Against Women
Source: Sunday World
ON the 20th anniversary of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign on gender violence, Shuvai Nyoni Kagoro of Gender Links asks whether "the millions of dollars spent in cash and human time" have significantly reduced the violence women and other marginalised groups face "because of their gender".
She concludes that a constant cycle of planning, implementation, and measuring to assess progress and devise new strategies is needed.
This campaign lasts for just over two weeks, one might ask if this is enough to conscientise the nation.
Do we only raise awareness on domestic violence for the duration of the campaign?
It's heart-breaking to see our beloved mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters enduring the pain at the hands of their merciless lovers and husbands. You then ask yourself: how can one claim that they love you and yet hurt you at the same time?
A study by Gauteng Gender Links and the Medical Research Council last year indicated that the level of violence against women and children is on the increase.
The study states that more than 50% of women in the province have experienced some form of abuse.
Such statistics are worrisome, and one cannot help but wonder what leads to the escalation of gender-based violence.
What I find more disturbing is that sizeable literature links gender-based violence to HIV infection.
The fact that most of the gender-based crimes are committed behind closed doors makes it even more difficult to fight the scourge.
Traditionally abuse is linked to some form of dependency, especially financial dependency. What could then be the explanation where you find a well-off woman being abused?
One would expect that person to have sufficient information to spot the abuser from miles away.
Could it be that people who are abused are scared to be vocal because they are afraid of being stigmatised, or are ashamed of being laughed at?
Sixteen days is not enough to address domestic violence and factors that are related to the issue. We need to recognise and respect the rights of vulnerable groups.
Moral regeneration is also key in the fight against abuse. Men must be the protectors that they ought to be, not the beasts that they have become.
The latest trend is corrective rape where homosexual people, especially lesbians, are victimised for exercising and being vocal about their sexual orientation.
Some barbaric fellows do not even recognise that they are violating the basic human rights of an individual.
Such discriminatory incidents cannot be tolerated in a democratic country such as South Africa.
Over the years the Gauteng Department of Community Safety has expanded victim empowerment centres to complement Ikhaya Lethemba, a one-stop shop that provides counselling, medico-legal, prosecutorial and policing services.
During the 16 Days campaign, eleven Green Doors, which are safe houses for victims of domestic abuse, have been rolled out.
The safe houses model is designed to ensure a seamless continuum of care for victims, rather than going back to the abuser.
Five more safe havens are to be rolled out this financial year.
Held for the first time and the highlight of 16 Days of Activism last year was the assembly of domestic abuse victims.
These included victims that were not treated to their satisfaction at police stations, cases that were unfairly thrown out of court, to those that are afraid to report abuse because in some instances the police might have some sort of relation with the perpetrator.
The assembly created a platform for victims to register their complaints so that they can be investigated.
Faith Mazibuko is the MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng
