16 Days of Activism – we need to break the stigma of gender-based violence

The 16 Days of Activism against women and child abuse is upon us again, and sadly the need to support this pressing issue is as critical as it ever was.

It begins on November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and ends on December 10 (Human Rights Day).

Linden police officer Constable Mbali Masondo who heads up their social crime prevention desk said, “There is no time limit in reporting gender-based violence [GBV] cases to police and we encourage anyone who has been affected to come forward and break the silence. We need to let women know that we are here for them and we want to help them.”

Every police station is or should be equipped with a safe, secure and calming space where victims of GBV can be attended to. Linden police have made a concerted effort to ensure that victims are looked after in a non-threatening space that is completely separate from the station building to make sure that they are not traumatised further when dealing with police.

ALSO READ: Community takes a stand against GBV

When asked what was the single most important thing she wished victims knew she said, “I wish they would come in sooner. It is almost unheard of that a woman comes in after she has been harmed by a man the first time, it is usually after multiple events and that means so much suffering has already taken place by the time we can get involved.”

She encouraged communities to get to know each other and reach out if they suspected someone they knew was being abused. “Society needs to step up and help when they can because women are not always able to or are too scared to do it themselves.”

With the festive season drawing near, she said the mix of end-of-year celebrations and increased alcohol intake often led to an increase in abuse. “Abuse of substances leads to so many crimes, not just GBV-related. I plead with people to drink alcohol responsibly and to be safe this December.”

Linden police and other stations across the country would host or attend special events during the 16 days such as visiting shopping malls, clinics, schools, old age homes and other places to help break the stigma of gender-based violence and help to break the silence of victims suffering alone.

If you need to go to a place for help, here are some useful tips:

• Time is of the essence. The more time has passed between the event and reporting it to the police, the harder it can be to get a successful conviction
• You can report a crime at any police station. If the crime happened somewhere else, the docket will be sent to that police station but don’t let geography stop you from coming forward
• Do not bath or shower. Police need to be able to get evidence of the assault, especially if a sexual assault. Even if you have bathed, take the clothing you were wearing with you to the police to be used as evidence
• The case opened will probably be for sexual assault, abuse of a minor or other related charges. GBV in itself is not a criminal charge, but rather a grouping of charges that relate to women and children.

ALSO READ: The SAPS on victim empowerment programme #16DaysOfActivism

INFO BOX
Police Minister General Bheki Cele said in August when he released the national crime statistics that:

• President Cyril Ramaphosa had declared GBV a pandemic and cases would be prioritised along with murder
• 9 516 rape cases were opened with SAPS between April and June 2022. This was almost 500 fewer rape cases reported, compared to the same period last year
• 3 780 of the rapes took place in the homes of the rapists or homes of the victims
• 1 546 people were raped in public places such as streets, parks and beaches
• Public transportation such as buses, taxis and trains were the third most likely places of occurrence for rape cases.
• Out of the 286 rape convictions, 46 of the rapists were sentenced to life behind bars.
• The NPA and SAPS Forensic Science Laboratories continue to focus on the prioritisation of court-ready cases where there are outstanding forensic reports.

ALSO READ: #16daysofActivism, No more women should die – Nkoana-Mashabane