New ways to fight gender based violence

FAITH and cultural based organisation agree that interventions and joint efforts are needed in order to rid the country, of the surge in incidents of Gender Based Violence (GBV). This came out on Thursday during the 16 Days of Activism Conference on GBV, Faith and Culture, held at Diakonia in partnership with South African Faith and Family Institute Addressing Faith Issues (SAFFI), the US Embassy SA, Gandhi Development Trust, Religions for Peace SA, We Will Speak Out and Project Empower.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that aims to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day.

While the murder rate of women has increased by 17 per cent between 2015 and 2017, KZN has recorded the highest number of murders of women, followed closely by the Eastern Cape. A 2018 report by Statistics South Africa, Crime against Women in South Africa, revealed, apart from the horrifying incidence of rape, that 250 out of every 100000 women were victims of sexual abuse. A surprising finding was that 2.5 per cent of women believe men are justified in beating women.

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Delivering the opening address, Peace activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Gandhi said GBV was prevalent in communities because people seldom practiced the golden rule of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

“If we observe that, we wouldn’t inflict the pain we do to each other. Every religion talks about compassion and love. If only everyone became aware that we are linked to each other and when we talk about gender based violence we need to look at this aspect,” she said.

Although abuse experienced at the hands of intimate partners, is the most common type of violence, and the leading cause of death among South African women, United States Consul General, Sherry Zalika Sykes who spoke about her own experience of being a survivor of domestic violence, said this type of violence is experienced by women of all backgrounds, race and class.

“Ending violence in our communities will need all of our efforts because it does not happen in a vacuum in a community that doesn’t condemn it. We hear daily about about gender based violence, if we have found ways to address HIV we must also find ways to deal with gender based violence because it has a negative impact on women empowerment. The change begins with each one us.”

A recent household survey by the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) found that 40% of men have hit their partners and one in four men has raped a woman. Three-quarters of men who admit to having raped women say they did so first as teenagers. And, while a quarter of the country’s women has been raped, just 2% of those raped by a partner reported the incident to police. The survey also revealed that more women are killed by their partner or ex-partner in South Africa than in any other country in the world.

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According to Elizabeth Petersen who is the Executive Director of SAFFI, an organisation advancing a coordinated, multi sectoral, culturally competent restorative justice response to violence against women and children, domestic violence must not be addressed in a one-size-fits-all approaching.

“It must be the community that provides solutions, it cannot be business as usual. Women cannot negotiate their safety with people they are supposed to be intimate with, but reality is that this happens. Why do we only speak patriarchy when it comes to GBV, why are we not talking about the root causes. If we don’t become critical of the beliefs that breed this we are not going nowhere because it is men of faith and culture who abuse their intimate partners,” said Petersen.

“How do we still teach certain teachings if the system is built to work against black men/boys, how can they love and be intimate with their partners if everything is made to work against them. We need policies that humanize our people and not an environment that suffocates people. We also need to put the spotlight on ordinary men, who have been affirming our womanhood. The ordinary men who affirmed everyone’s dignity,” she said.

While the overall rape crisis in South Africa has long been well documented, Minister of Police, Bheki Cele’s recent revelations in Parliament have left the nation feeling even more worried and unsafe. Cele revealed various numbers for child murders and child rapes over the last three financial years. Of the 124 526 total rape cases reported in the last 3 financial years, children were the victims of a sickening 41% of these cases. In 2014/15, there were 15 520 child rapes reported. Only 1799 ended up in successful convictions. In 2015/16, 16 389 were reported. Just 2 488 were convicted.

Addressing the audience, Adv Mzoxolo Rusi from the National Prosecuting Authority said: “Domestic violence is a sensitive issue. Fifty per cent of the cases reported will go to court, for them to be withdrawn by the complainant. When we refuse to withdraw the case they don’t show up at court.We also have Thuthuzela centres which include police, social workers, prosecutors and project Ndabezitha which is basically a public awareness and legal education initiative aimed at empowering rural communities on the issues of domestic violence. It is a project that seeks not only to bridge the gap in service provision between urban and rural communities, but also between men and women, and boys and girls.”

Thuthuzela centres represent a radical approach to rape care management. They operate in public hospitals in communities where the incidence of rape is particularly high and are also linked to the sexual offences courts. They are considered a new and unique South African anti-rape intervention. As part of the strategy, a specialised Sexual Offences Court is staffed by a committed cadre of prosecutors, social workers, investigating officers, magistrates, health professionals and police, and located in close proximity to the Thuthuzela.

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