Cape Town - Women Can Do It Network has called for gender-based violence to be declared a pandemic that requires immediate government intervention.
The network, comprised of gender activists and trainers from vulnerable communities in informal settlements, mining affected areas, small-scale farmers and farm workers, said that despite President Cyril Ramaphosa having declared femicide a national crisis last year, it remained a problem across the country.
The network said high rates of femicide and gender-based violence continue to be reported, even during the lockdown, with women in most cases trapped with their abusers.
It also demanded that cases of gender-based violence become a priority, and that the government implement systems to deal with the root of the violence and perpetrators and personnel in all police stations who can take cases without harassing victims.
National chairperson Nomonde Phindani said the country had relevant policies and programmes aimed at addressing the scourge but “unfortunately this is a different scenario when it comes to women and children’s daily life realities. The government has recently developed a national strategic plan for gender-based violence and femicide.
“This is a result of so many processes that took place in the country, including the Total Shutdown marches which led to the presidential summit in Johannesburg in November 2018,” she said.
“The first week of the lockdown, 2320 cases of gender-based violence were reported.
“This means that laws meant to protect women and children are not adequately implemented. Recent killings of women and children just a week after the country got into level 3 of the lockdown is an indication of the battle that the government is not winning.”
Phindani said instead of assisting victims, police in most cases re- traumatised them and women often felt helpless because of the poorly trained officials.
She said the government should redirect the budget to civil society organisations that were committed to fighting the scourge.
“The president himself declares femicide a national crisis but the response does not match that statement,” Phindani said.
Cape Argus