By Ofentse Morwane
GOVERNMENT wrapped up its 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign this past week. But one of the pertinent questions we should ask ourselves is what will it take to end this scourge?
Doubtlessly, the campaign has been well documented throughout the years as this has become a national crisis.
The government has been consistent in its messaging to encourage behavioural change through various platforms calling for an end to the horrific abuse and killing of women and children in the country.
Pity, we continue to see a spike in these incidents.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has correctly cautioned that this is the second pandemic facing our country. “Our country has been deeply traumatised by acts of extreme violence perpetrated by men against women and children. These acts of violence have made us doubt the very foundation of our democratic society, our commitment to human rights and human dignity, to equality, to peace and to justice,” he had said at the time.
The involvement of civil society and other key partners to scale up measures to prevent and reduce gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in all its forms is commendable. This campaign has united the voices of millions of people across the globe and in South Africa to raise awareness. It has consistently served as a reminder to focus attention on the extent of GBVF and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.
But a zero-tolerance approach and a 365 days programme to fight domestic violence and end the killing of women and children is what is needed.
Accordingly, the National Strategic Framework on GBVF approved by the Cabinet earlier this year was a direct response to this enormous challenge plaguing the country.
In truth, the government has laid a solid foundation and tirelessly continues to mobilise resources to fight the abuse and killing of women and children.
Society has a much bigger role to play and cannot afford to rest on its laurels. To be more direct, community members must act as agents of change towards the elimination of GBVF and must never allow themselves to be innocent bystanders. Families and communities must unite against abusers and report this to authorities.
This is crucial as GBVF often happens between people who know one another.
The Gauteng Provincial Government continues to roll out a mass social mobilisation campaign to highlight the need for increased participation and engagement of all members of society in the fight against the abuse and killing of women and children.
The recent launch of the Gender-Based Violence Response Plan was not a knee-jerk reaction, but a direct response to the escalating incidents of abuse and killing of women and children.
It seeks to mobilise all spheres of government to work together to break the GBVF cycle through policy interventions focusing on the longer-term solutions by changing discriminatory social norms that fuel inequalities.
Importantly, one of its key pillars is that of provision of adequate care, support and healing to victims of GBVF. Emphasis is on support for victims through places such as Ikhaya Lethemba – a victim empowerment centre. Ikhaya Lethemba is the largest and most comprehensive one-stop centre for victims of GBV that continues to assist thousands of women and their children in desperate need. Its important role is to ensure that professional victim support services are available and accessible.
Key to the services is also family justice support and provision of temporary accommodation for some victims and their children.
With the elaborate incidents and spike in cases of GBVF experienced in the country, the 365 days approach makes pragmatic sense.
• Ofentse Morwane is director, corporate communications at the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and a freelance writer.
Saturday Star