Cape Town - A call to install CCTV cameras in all modes of public transport and at the public transport interchanges and taxi ranks has been lauded during a webinar on gender-based violence (GBV) in the public transport sector.
The webinar, hosted yesterday by the deputy minister of Transport, Dikeledi Magadzi, the deputy minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Hlengiwe Mkhize, Sonke Justice policy development and advocacy co-ordinator Zanele Mabaso, People Opposed to Women Abuse, GBV activist Sidwell Sehoana and Love Life chief executive Linda Ncube-Nkomo, addressed sexual harassment and assault on public transport.
Mabaso called on the department to establish a vacancy for a technical role within the public transport directorate.
Mabaso said such vacancies would be responsible for main-streaming and addressing sexual harassment, GBV and femicide issues in the public transport sector and for leading the department’s implementation of the national strategic plan on GBV and the GBVF outcomes of the National Taxi Lekgotla 2020 declaration.
She said transport systems had tended to function in ways that prioritised men’s needs over those of women, which had led to public transport being described as “an institution through which hegemonic masculinity is maintained”, where women were at greater risk of violence, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
“Violence in public places, particularly on public transport systems, reduces the freedom of movement for women and girls, as well as of gender non-conforming persons and individuals of other vulnerable populations like the elderly and persons with disabilities,” she said.
Ncube-Nkomo said: “Our problem is bigger than GBV. Our problem is violence. We are not going to address the issue of GBV without having to talk about violence.
"My proposal was that the country should start having a 365 days campaign of no violence.”
Ncube-Nkomo said the campaign should also discuss initiatives that would address the aggression of men in general, and then the GBV should be tagged along.
Magadzi said assistive technologies must be built and installed, especially in all complex public transport environments.
Cape Argus