The one ingredient we can use against GBV

This Women’s Month, the focus regrettably but rightfully falls on gender-based violence during lockdown.

But unlike Covid-19, the GBV pandemic already has an effective treatment. And our schools and institutions of higher learning have a vital role to play in administering it.

“A war being waged against the women and children of our country” is how President Cyril Ramaphosa recently referred to the scourge that seemed to mirror the spike of our infection rates over lockdown.

In the first three weeks of the lockdown, more than 120,000 victims called the national helpline for abused women and children – double the usual volume of calls.

Ramaphosa’s “war” reference is quite appropriate. Global Peace Index statistics show that violence in SA is similar to countries at war or in conflict. The figures of female victims almost defy comprehenthe sion: Close to 3,000 women are murdered in SA every year, about five times the global average. This means a woman is murdered roughly every three hours. About 110 women are raped every day.

There are some striking similarities between the two pandemics. The first is that they both affect everyone. Another similarity lies in their devastating consequences. Not only do they cause victims to suffer; it also poses a threat to the people around them.

With both pandemics, there is a huge responsibility on governments to ensure their citizens are protected. But there is also an equally pressing duty on citizens to look out for one another.

On the other hand, there are marked differences: While a word such as “novel” is used to describe Covid-19, GBV is a scourge that has been with us for a very long time.

Sadly, there also seems to be a vast difference in the perceived urgency to address the two. While government implemented farreaching and immediate measures in an attempt to curb the one, the effective application of laws and policies to curb the other just doesn’t seem to get off the ground.

With any pandemic, the main concern lies in finding a treatment. And while the search is on for a Covid-19 vaccine, a major part of the solution for GBV has already been identified. It lies in one simple word: Respect.

Mutual respect as a countermeasure for twisted views on paternalism, toxic masculinity, and subservience that often lie at the root of abuse, and self-respect as a countermeasure to alcohol and substance abuse that regularly go hand in hand with GBV incidents.

Respect is, however, not a remedy that can be forcefully injected into an ailing society. Respect for oneself and for others has to be cultivated from an early age to become part of a population’s DNA. The ideal, of course, is that respect be taught at home. But in SA’s sad reality, respect is something that young children so often see very little of.

Another stark fact is that close to two thirds of children grow up without a father in the household.

Broken households simply cannot be fixed overnight. And this is where educational institutions need to urgently step up to the plate. One of the things the Covid-19 pandemic has clearly illuminated, is their vital and multi-faceted role. We should more urgently than ever focus on instilling a culture of respect in students and learners.

We deal with young people at a time when they are particularly susceptible to influence. What they learn passing through our doors and over our campuses, will help determine the type of adults they become. And here lies the crux: Respect is a lesson that should not only be taught but also be shown.