Action, not talk, will help stop GBV
A 12-year-old girl runs home from school to fetch a forgotten mask but on her way is raped by a 17-year old. Police investigate claims that a toddler, placed in a hospital isolation ward for suspected Covid-19, is raped…
These are two of the horrific stories to make our news pages in recent days in a country in which gender-based violence (GBV) has been described by our president as our “second epidemic” after Covid-19.
Activist site Saferspaces identifies GBV as a profound and widespread problem, deeply entrenched in the institutions, cultures and traditions in South Africa, and never far from the surface of everyday life.
There have been more protests, both physical and virtual, in response to recent cases. But how many women must die and how many innocent children must be raped before we start to see meaningful change? This question is pertinent, especially with Women’s Month coming up.
MPs said they wanted to go beyond debates on GBV to more being done to deal with the problem. Veteran politician Patricia de Lille summed it up neatly when she said the debate must be about real change, and not a competition to see who makes the most dramatic speeches.
The UN Population Fund has suggested South Africa collaborates with other countries to deal with GBV, noting that social issues drive the problem which is one of the reasons lockdown has led to an increase in cases.
Aside from investment in awareness and preventative social behaviour programmes, we have to ensure a strong and effective criminal justice system. This has been acknowledged by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola who has said that justice for women needs to be tangible.
Reforms include strengthening Thuthuzela care centres, and amendments to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, the Domestic Violence Act, and the Criminal Procedure Act and legislation regulating minimum sentencing.
What we need to see is faster movement on the legislative process so that the laws can be enacted without delay.