Soaring GBV cases need urgent action
There have been over 2,300 cases of gender-based violence reported since the start of the 21-day lockdown period, prompting calls for a decisive intervention by government.
Members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) sing and chant during a march against gender-based violence outside the Sunnyside Police station in Pretoria on October 14, 2019. The march led by the men in blue aims to raise awareness on the scourge of violence with a view of mobilising society to play an active role in assisting the police in detecting, preventing and fighting gender-based violence. Picture: AFP / Phill Magakoe
While government should be lauded for taking decisive measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, more than 2,000 reported cases mean that a rapid response to increased gender-based violence (GBV) during the lockdown should be prioritised, according to non-governmental organisation Sonke Gender Justice.
Commenting on the call made by United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who has urged governments around the world to consider protecting women as part of their response to the coronavirus pandemic, Sonke spokesperson Given Sigauqwe said on Monday the moment called for “decisiveness”.
In his call, Guterres said: “I urge all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for Covid-19.
“That means increasing investment in online services and civil society organisations, making sure judicial systems continue to prosecute abusers, setting up emergency warning systems in pharmacies and [grocery stores], declaring shelters as essential services and creating safe ways for women to seek support, without alerting their abusers, is what should be done.
“Women’s rights and freedoms are essential to strong, resilient societies. Together, we can and must prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes, as we work to beat Covid-19.”
Sigauqwe said the kind of decisiveness his organisation envisaged was “similar to France”.
He said: “If the reports are true, that France has opened up hotels to house women who are exposed to GBV, that is the desired example of what we should be expecting from our own government here.
“Government has to be decisive in dealing with the pandemic and the GBV effectively.”
On the total of 2,333 cases of GBV reported to police during lockdown, Sigauqwe, said Sonke was “not surprised”.
Said Sigauqwe: “The numbers that were reported last week were to be expected. Because of the phenomenon of under-reporting, one can imagine what the actual numbers look like.
“Self-isolation and social distancing mean women in marriages or women that are cohabiting with abusers, run the risk of being exposed to intimate partner violence during the period. The vulnerability also extends to children, with girls being particularly at risk of sexual violence.”
People Opposed to Women’s (Powa) Jeanette Sera said the organisation, which offered shelter to abused women, wanted to see police “using their vehicles to transport victims to our centres for counselling”.
“The role of police in helping us fight the scourge of the GBV is very key.
“Powa has operated since 1979 and we have shelters throughout the country. Should we not have sufficient space, we refer victims to our sister organisations.
“An upsurge in GBV during lockdown demonstrates that some people are not used to be confined together in one space, when not being able to deal with the stress of the coronavirus,” said Sera.
– brians@citizen.co.za
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