SOUTH Africa continued to experience a high prevalence of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) throughout lockdown.
According to the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, since the country entered lockdown level three, there has been a surge in GBVF.
Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the clear message on the streets of the nation is the call for an end to all forms of violence against women and children, an end to impunity for perpetrators of GBVF, for public and private spaces to be made safe for women and children, and for adequate resourcing of the psychosocial and other needs of survivors, provided by both government and through civil society.
“We are in deep crisis as a country and that must be brought to a decisive end. As government, we recognise and acknowledge that we cannot do this alone. This is a societal problem that needs all of us to rally all our efforts and resources collectively and confront this enemy head on,” said Nkoana-Mashabane.
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The Minister said she was aware that this fight is bigger than government, and said communities needed to help government curb this epidemic.
“Communities must come together against GBVF and expose perpetrators and not turn a blind eye to abuse. One of the ways this can be done is to start in your communities, educating your brothers, cousins, neighbours, colleagues about dignity and respect for human life,” she said.
Curb the epidemic by calling the Crime Stop Hotline on 08600 10111 or send an anonymous SMS to Crime Line at 32211, or contact the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre at 0800 428 428.
Tips to protect yourself:
· Have a friend or relative that you can call on should you need help;
· Create a code for whoever your safe person is so that they know you are in danger;
· Share the code with your children;
· You could also share a sign with your neighbours that you will use to indicate to them that you need help;
· Have emergency numbers available such as SAPS, local NGO, Call Command Centre;
· When you escape, leave at the safest time, e.g. when the abuser is asleep, or make an excuse to go out;
· Go to a safe place like a family member’s house, a local NGO, or SAPS.
The Warrior Project helps abused women
THE Warrior Project, an information and resource portal for domestic abuse and gender-based violence, is urging women to seek help.
Yvonne Wakefield, founder of the Warrior Project, said as predicted, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem of gender-based violence in South Africa, with a recent surge in murders of women and girls.
“Intimate partner violence occurs within relationships, where abusive behaviours set in almost invisibly and gather impetus over time until aggression becomes the norm and there is real danger of injury or death. Initial red flags insidiously morph into overtly dangerous behaviours as the abuse ramps up. During this phase, once victims become aware that they are in danger, there is time to seek help and make changes which could be life saving,” said Wakefield.
The Warrior Project portal includes a free legal advice helpline and WhatsApp line for victims, and access to other available resources like counselling and shelters.
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“We encourage the public who need legal advice to figure out what they should do if they or someone they know find themselves in a situation of domestic abuse, to seek it,” said Delia McArthur, Chief Legal Executive at Law For All, who supply the free legal helpline service to The Warrior Project.
“We believe that education is key, so knowing what your legal rights are in a situation like this is imperative.”
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The process for applying for a domestic violence protection order in terms of the Domestic Violence Act is available to any victim, regardless of the type of abuse they are subject to.
“Our domestic abuse legislation is not perfect, but in most cases it is solid enough to effectively protect victims who are in danger,” said Wakefield. “Without help, domestic abuse does not get better, so not seeking help in the hope that it will could prove fatal.”
She said turning the tide on gender-based violence and domestic abuse will require a number of interventions, but using legal processes already in place for protection is one of the measures that individual victims can take while civil society tackles the more systemic issues.
Visit: www.thewarriorproject.org.za.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
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