My son, Michael, had to do a project on gender based violence (“GBV”) in South Africa for a project at school. I am sharing it here as I thought it was very insightful and well researched.
What is GBV?
GBV encompasses any type of violence that is caused by the exploitation of unequal power in relationships between genders.
GBV in South Africa includes instances of sexual, physical, mental and economic harm inflicted by one party, usually a man, on other parties, usually women and/or children in private or in public.
The perpetrator may or may not know the victim depending on the circumstances. Some examples of GBV in partner/marriage relationships include threats of violence, manipulation and coercion of the victim.
Picture credit: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/11/24/south-africa-broken-promises-aid-gender-based-violence-survivors
GBV ‘hot spots’ in South Africa
South Africa has one of the highest rates of GBV in the world. GBV in South Africa includes rape, murder of women, and domestic abuse. Key statistics on GBV quoted by Ballard Brief:
- “The rate of murders on females in South Africa is approximately 24,6 per 100,000 females which is nearly six times the global average;
- Although there is enacted legislation and general government action in South Africa, the instances of rape have only decreased by 6% since 1996;
- Approximately 28% of South African males have admitted to at least one rape and of that number, 46% are repeat offenders.
Picture credit: https://ewn.co.za/2019/12/29/women-take-centre-stage-in-protests-against-gender-based-violence
According to an article in the Sowetan Live entitled ‘Eastern Cape accounts for most GBV cases with twice national rate’, the Eastern Cape has emerged as the leading province for cases of GBV.
Abrahams said while cases of femicide had decreased since 2017, the caseload for the police was still very high.
Professor Naheema Abrahams from the South African Medical Research Council said the following about GBV in the Eastern Cape at the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Midrand in October 2022: “The Eastern Cape unfortunately is our province that has more than twice the national rate [of femicide]. About 22,000 women were killed in 2017 compared to 14,000 in KwaZulu-Natal. Limpopo doesn’t have as many cases, but the number is still higher than the global average,” she said.
Abrahams said there had also been anecdotal evidence, which showed the murder of women post 2017 had increased, similarly to that of children compared to 2021.
This finding is further supported by an article in the Daily Maverick dated 03 December 2019 entitled ‘Murder, rape and robbery: Eastern Cape women and children under siege’. The article introduces it’s topic as follows:
“Shocking statistics released by the MEC for Safety and Liaison in the Eastern Cape has shown an alarmingly high incidence of crimes against women and children in the province, coupled with a dismal conviction rate — but activists say that government should stop doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.”
The articles continues to say: “From April 2018 to March 2019 2,695 children were raped in the Eastern Cape and 375 were sexually assaulted, 4,082 women were raped and 432 sexually assaulted. The total number of crimes against women and children, including murder, attempted murder, assault and robbery was more than 29,000 — almost 1,000 more than the previous year.
Of cases opened with the police, MEC for Safety and Liaison in the Eastern Cape, Weziwe Tikana, said there were 399 convictions in cases where children were raped and only 40 convictions for the 153 children murdered during the same period.”
Picture credit: https://www.unjaniclinic.co.za/2022/12/01/gender-based-violence-a-serious-problem-that-south-africa-needs-to-face/
Reasons for GBV in South Africa and effect on society
The three main reasons for GBV in South Africa are as follows:
- Gender inequality rooted in patriarchy.
- Many cultures and religions in South Africa promote male superiority and treat it as the norm.
- Patriarchal attitudes lead men to believe they are entitled to sex with women and that dominating a woman demonstrates their masculinity.
- Poverty
- Women and girls living in poverty are more likely to be sexually exploited including trafficking and prostitution.
- An inability for women to leave abusive relationships due to a lack of financial and other resources.
- Lack of implementation of protective laws
The Daily Maverick article quotes various people about the situation of GBV in the Eastern Cape.
“Pastor Neville Goldman has been working with the police to fight crime in Nelson Mandela Bay’s gang-ridden areas.
“I will tell women that I can get them a job today, but they don’t want to take it because they want to be at school when the children come home — they fear their kids will be raped on their way home.”
Similarly, a counsellor, who asked not to be named, said:
“We hear the girls talk on a Monday morning. They will tell each other that they were raped, but they never report it. It is like they have given up hope that something will be done,” she said.”
The effects of GBV on society are as follows:
- GBV is a human rights violation which undermines the victim’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem. It effects both physical and mental health and can lead to self harm, isolation, depression, and suicidal attempts.
- GBV destroys the victim’s physical and psychological integrity. Victim’s don’t feel safe and secure in their environments and are unable to function normally in their families, communities and societies as a result.
- GBV is discriminatory and results in affected women and children being marginalized and feeling helpless and inferior. GBV undermines the natural and normal roles of for both men and women in society.
- GBV is an obstacle to gender equality and serves to cultivate a heteronormative society. Gender equality allows both genders to play meaningful roles in society and to enjoy equal opportunities and equal visibility.
- GBV is under-reported and there is often impunity for perpetrators. Societal suppression of exposing GBV from others makes it difficult to denounce and for the victims to seek help. The children of abused women are impacted psychologically and often form the impression that this behaviour is normal or justified. This becomes an enabler for a culture of violence and GBV.
- GBV has a high economic cost. It costs society because medical, psychological, police, and justice services are required to deal with the fall out. In addition, victims of abuse usually underperform at school and work and are frequently unemployed.
Picture credit: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-09-01-shocking-stats-on-gender-based-violence-during-lockdown-revealed/
Picture credit: https://www.informationng.com/2018/06/south-african-woman-begs-police-to-arrest-her-husband.html
Restorative intervention programme and collaborative action
The following steps and programmes will help to reduce GBV in the Eastern Cape and South Africa more generally:
- Government must implement laws to address GBV. In January 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa implemented laws aimed at reducing GBV through a victim centred focus. The laws are there, but they need to be better enforced.
- South African could follow the approach of the UK where there are law enforcement officers that deal only with domestic violence and who checkup regularly on the victims and perpetrators. This makes the perpetrators think twice before abusing their victims.
- Protection orders need to be enforced better so that abusers can stalk their victims and continue to abuse them. Community members could assist with this be reporting stalking to the police and helping to protect victims.
- Funding must be provided to support victims with shelter, medical, legal, and psychological resources.
- There need to be more homes for victims of abuse where they can remain long term so they don’t have to return to the abuser due to having no-where to live. The Daily Maverick article stated the following: ““I think we only have four shelters in Port Elizabeth. But also, women can’t stay there for an extended period of time because shelters do not have money. If they have nowhere else to go, they are often forced to go back to their abusers.
“We are basically pushing women back to situations they have been in before — and got hurt,” Ziehl said.”
Picture credit: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-03-17-down-and-out-in-johannesburg-understanding-homelessness/
Picture credit: https://www.theceomagazine.com/business/management-leadership/women-in-business-south-africa/
Picture credit: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-04-30-517f08545f703/
- Victims need to be empowered through upliftment and education, so they are able to gain meaningful employment and support themselves and their children. Churches and other societies already try to provide some of these services, but they need more funding. Corporates and businesses can assist by providing pro bono training on how to use computers, how to type, and other useful skills.
Picture credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-27337520
- Victims need to be provided with counselling and rehabilitation. Funding needs to be provided for this. Churches, schools and other social organisations need to educate people about the roles of men and women in society. Sexist attitudes need to be strongly discouraged and there needs to be continuous strong messaging that girls are as good as boys and deserve the same opportunities and treatment as men and boys. Children, in particular, need to be taught about respect and equality. Children need to understand that violence is never an acceptable solution to problems and issues.
- There need to be crisis centres that provide immediate help to victims of rape and GBV. Police, judges, and counsellors must be trained to properly manage and deal with cases of sexual assault and GBV. Medical treatment must be provided to victims and a place in a shelter provided if necessary.
Picture credit: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/sa-women-live-in-fear-for-365-days-of-being-the-next-gbv-victim-11fae6d3-6e3f-411a-963a-0fb2ae437622
What can I do?
I can always speak respectfully to women and girls and treat them as equals.
I can, and have, helped prepare rape packs for institutions at our local church.
I can write books where male and female characters have equal status in society and both sexes have equal opportunities.
roberta-writes.com 