November 25 marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign for this year.
More organisations and government departments will be involved in various activities aimed at raising awareness of the GBV scourge, which has been dubbed South Africa’s ‘second pandemic’ after Covid-19.
The annual campaign runs from November 25 (International Day of No Violence against Women) through to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). This year marks the 25th anniversary since South Africa initiated the campaign.
In light of that, this publication spoke to some of the local organisations that deal with the issues associated with GBV.
They all stated that while the country may have made some strides in passing laws aimed at protecting the rights of women and children, the escalating numbers of GBV cases can be indicators that more still needs to be done.
Lack of shelters for victims fleeing domestic abuse
Reiger Park Community Crisis Centre manager Elaine Appies said the problem requires holistic solutions.
This includes prevention measures such as dealing with the identified causes; strengthening of vital safe refuge spaces for women and children escaping domestic violence; and empowering survivors to become self-reliant to fend for themselves after they leave the places of safety.
Appies strongly believes that the lack of safe shelters for women escaping domestic abuse, particularly those with very low income or no income, may be one of the contributing factors driving victims back to their violent partners.
“In our area, we only have one shelter that I know of, where we refer victims, but they will only be kept there for a certain period. This is due to limited capacity and resources to meet the growing demands of GBV victims looking for safe accommodation.
“The consequences are that when women and their children are not provided with proper housing or when their set period at the facilities has expired they become caught between a rock and a hard place. They are only left with the choice of choosing between going back to the dangerous partner or risk becoming homeless on the streets.”
She added that some have no confidence in the system, and they resort to taking the law into their own hands or not reaching out for help at all.
“We receive a number of complaints in our centre and these are just the women who had the courage to reach out for help. The true numbers of GBV may actually be higher than what meets the eye.
“We are doing our best to help and we refer victims to another stakeholder if it is beyond our expertise, such as SAPS if a case must be opened and we continue to provide support to the victims.
“We always encourage those who reach out to open a case. However, one out of 10 will open a case. The majority wouldn’t dare open a case, citing various reasons for not doing it.
“Even among those who open cases in the heat of the moment, there are those who subsequently drop cases against the perpetrators.
“Some do this in the name of love and hope that their partner will change one day. Others say they are worried about who is going to take care of the children should their partner, who is the sole breadwinner, get arrested. Some lack courage because of family traditions that prohibit them from discussing about family issues with outsiders.”
GBV spikes
Appies said they have noted that GBV numbers tend to spike during the holidays.
“GBV is more prevalent during the festive season because most companies are closed and family members are all at home. Some of those who received their 13th cheque spend their money on binge drinking which in some families results in drunken arguments leading to GBV at home.”
Despite all of these issues, she said the centre continuously provides care and support as well as counselling and referrals for further intervention. As usual, they will be embarking on door-to-door visits to raise awareness of GBV and encourage families to speak out against any form of abuse.
Accelerating actions to end GBVF
The South African Government (www.gov.za) stated that this campaign focuses on raising awareness of the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women and children, and the social fabric of our society.
This year’s campaign will be launched on November 25 in Mpumalanga Province, and the theme for the 2023 campaign is ‘Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence and femicide: leaving no one behind’.
The sub-theme for this year is ‘Safe access for women to clean water: a basic human right’.
The main theme speaks to the importance of ensuring an all-society and multi-faceted approach to fight GBVF. The sub-theme seeks to address barriers women face in safely accessing water and sanitation in South Africa.
Play your part
• Citizens are encouraged to act as activists against GBV in their homes, communities and workplaces as well as other platforms.
• Challenge cultures and practices that perpetuate gender inequalities and consequent abuse of women and children at personal and societal levels.
• Reject and report abusers. Act and don’t look away!
• Do not protect abusers, report them!
• Sign the pledge against GBV. Do not engage in abusive activities and become an abuser. Stop abuse.
• Challenge and denounce cultural practices that perpetuate gender inequalities.
• Be sensitive and supportive to GBV victims – share helpful information and support causes near you.
• Seek personal help to change harmful behaviours such as alcohol and substance abuse.
• Teach children values of gender equality.
• Protect children from exposure to violence and harmful content on the internet and social media, including pornography, and sexual solicitation.
• Develop policies that prevent and deal with gender-based violence in your sector, workplace and communities.
• Organise targeted community outreach and dialogues on solutions towards a gender-equal society.Where to find help
Counselling and support for women
National Crisis Helpline (Lifeline) 0861 322 322
Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline 0800 150 150
People Opposed to Women Abuse 011 642 4345
Family and Marriage Society of South Africa 012 460 0733
National Network on Violence Against Women 012 321 4959
Counselling and support for children
Childline 0800 055 555
Social Security Child support grants 0800 601 011
Healthcare
Marie Stopes clinics 0800 11 77 85
Depression and Anxiety Group 011 783 1474
AIDS Helpline 0800 012 322
AID for AIDS 0860 100 646
Legal assistance
Legal Aid Board 011 845 4311
Lawyers for Human Rights 011 339 1960
Campaigns for men who support no violence
Men as Partners Project 011 833 0504
Information
Sexual Harassment Education Project 011 403 0541
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation 011 403 5650
South African Police Service10111
Suicide Crisis Line 0800 567 567
Also Read: WATCH: Youth encouraged to act against GBV
