Gender-based violence will finally receive the deserved attention if mooted interventions are implemented, according to a local organisation.
Nomalanga Ngwenya from the leading Alex-based rights NPO Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (Adapt) said the national outcry and profiling of gruesome femicide cases has put a spotlight on this scourge prompting the government to propose sustainable interventions. “Declaration of the scourge as an emergency will ensure programmes for intervention are integrated into the National Strategic Plan so that they can be resourced,” Ngwenya said.
According to her, the process will require everyone’s involvement – as all are involved as either potential victim or perpetrators – to ensure heightened awareness, shared responsibility, accountability and to share resources. Ngwenya explained that a steering committee is consulting on the plans to make the interventions holistic and sustainable, formalise roles and responsibilities and guarantee collaboration, commitment and ensure the actors hold each other accountable.
She attributed the scourge partly to an inherited culture of violence and anger which were not tackled effectively during the transition into democracy. “It is compounded by some aspects of culture, norms and practice. including in churches which promote power and control of women by men.”
Ngwenya said current remedies are limited mostly to counselling to deal with the personal hurt of victims without tackling the root causes. “The hurting remains internalised while the victim hopes it will heal over time.”
Referring to the many cases of gender-based, physical, emotional and sexual violence cases the organisation attends to monthly and mostly between intimate partners, she said, “Not much is done to the mainly male perpetrators, who often allege provocation for causing them to continue to lash out violently on women and children.”
She also attributed the scourge to gaps in the justice system which she said perpetrators exploit. “Officials of the justice cluster departments require in-depth and sensitivity training to enable the police to conduct investigations thoroughly and sensitively to ensure successful prosecution of offenders.”
Ngwenya called for the holistic plan to also focus on behaviour and attitude change, particularly for boys to help them respect women as equals from a young age. “Culture and men’s organisations should be involved to help males grasp the extent of harm caused to women by patriarchy.”
She also believes the conditions of women to lessen their financial dependency on men; shelters and victim empowerment programmes to help battered women transitioning to safe spaces; adjustments in the education system; and infrastructure development to improve safety measures through street light, safe parks and the transport system should be targeted.
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