Solving GBV problem must translate into real change

Another Women’s Month has culminated in professionals and parliament highlighting how difficult it is for the call to end gender-based violence (GBV) to be translated into real change.

The Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions of movement have created fertile ground for a wave of domestic violence cases, with the South African Police Service (Saps) getting 2 320 complaints of GBV within the first week of the lockdown in March this year.

South African femicide rates were five times the global average, according to Statistics SA.Private sector social worker, Tasmeen Darffurn said that due to the stressors of the pandemic, South Africa has seen an increase in GBV.

“Lack of finances, no access to support systems and added responsibilities can create inherent conflict within a couple,” ex-plained Daffurn, a member of the South African Association of Social Workers in Private Practice. Despite several campaigns, government policy changes and a commitment by police to prioritise policing violence against women, South Africa’s society is still steeped in patriarchy from cultural groups to individual families, noted Daffurn. Women were still viewed as “lesser than” men, Daffurn said.

“The added stress of forced and prolonged proximity between abusers and victims characterised the experience of many couples and families over the lockdown. “With couples spending more time together, and not being able to work or visit family and friends, it can put tremendous strain on a relationship,” said Daffurn.

“This can bring to a head underlying issues that were already within the relationship.”The feeling of a loss of power within the relationship and in their lives as a result of the lock-down has been a common factor among abusers during this period, she added. “Many abusers have been abused themselves, or exposed to it within their homes growing up and it can become something that they see as normal or a way of life.”

The portfolio committee on women, youth and persons with disabilities’ chair Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba expressed horror at recent reports that have emerged on GBV cases. Ncube-Ndaba noted the recent incident of an Ekurhuleni woman hit by a car in the presence of two police officers, who allegedly took no action until the committee and the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) got involved.

Among its GBV-related activities over the weekend, the committee interacted with various political parties on incidences of GBV. It also visited 64-year-old Khabonina Mkhonza, who was allegedly assaulted by her employer’s son, who she had raised as she was a domestic worker with the family for over 20 years. The CGE reported the incident, which involved assault, abusive racial slurs and discrimination to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Ncube-Ndaba decried the lack of appropriate care given to victims at government institutions charged with this task. She noted that Mkhonza was discharged from a public clinic without being examined or treated. Public healthcare facilities were undermining vulnerable citizens, she lamented.

“Negligence and carelessness are unacceptable.” Last month, The Citizen reported on the case of a 16-year-old girl who was abused by multiple men and forced to live with one of her alleged rapists, her own brother, in a failure of the system to protect her from further trauma. Mpumalanga department of social development spokesperson Comfort Ngobe said that an update on the case would be given today.

Ncube-Ndaba called on public servants, who were at the forefront at the public centres of assistance, such as healthcare workers and the Saps to do their jobs with diligence. Members of the committee and CGE have been inundated with cases of complaints of negligence at public healthcare centres and police stations from the victims of violence. They have concluded that dialogue was urgently needed to fight the scourge of this pervasive form of violence.

Referring to the case of Asithandile Zozo Lugalo, a young woman who was murdered by a man she refused to have a relationship with, Ncube-Nda-ba lamented that women were being killed over such minor disagreements. Those who are in a relationship were also trapped in a psychological prison as the dominant part-ner exerted long-lasting trauma on the vulnerable partner.

According to Daffurn, many women in abusive relationships believe it’s their fault. Because the physical abuse was normally coupled with verbal abuse, many felt as though it was deserved. “If you see that a woman has unexplained injuries, depression or lack of freedom due to the abuser, approach her with-out judgment, and listen without blaming her,” Daffurn advised. Once a woman has had to seek a place of safety it might be safe, but being safe and feeling safe were very different.

“Women go through a lot of mixed emotions once they leave their abuser,” explained Daffurn. “Concern about putting other people at risk, questioning their decision to leave and also grief over the loss of the relationship and their home are common.”

Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni.

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