GBV: South Africa’s second pandemic
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The COVID-19 crisis and social distancing measures have caused deep concerns about their impact on women and girls. We are bombarded with news headlines every day – another woman killed in intimate partner violence.
These headlines point to the increased risk women in these relationships face under lockdown conditions. The fear is that they are trapped inside with their abusers, unable to leave, escape or reach out for help.
We are also confronted with the scourge of sexual violence in our society. In the most recent release of the crime statistics before Parliament, the South African Police Service revealed that during the reporting period April 2019 to March 2020, there were 53,293 sexual offences. These included rapes, sexual assaults and other crimes.
Has the COVID-19 lockdown exacerbated the abuse of women? Why is gender -based violence a pandemic on its own? That’s our burning issue tonight:
Our guests this evening:
- Reverend June Dolley-Major, who is fighting GBV after she herself survived a rape
- Bernadine Bachar, director of the Saartjie Baartman Centre
- Mara Glennie, founder of the Tears Foundation
- Prof Francis Petersen, vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State
-And we chat about a new cape flats initiative with Dr Chance Chagunda
These headlines point to the increased risk women in these relationships face under lockdown conditions. The fear is that they are trapped inside with their abusers, unable to leave, escape or reach out for help.
We are also confronted with the scourge of sexual violence in our society. In the most recent release of the crime statistics before Parliament, the South African Police Service revealed that during the reporting period April 2019 to March 2020, there were 53,293 sexual offences. These included rapes, sexual assaults and other crimes.
Has the COVID-19 lockdown exacerbated the abuse of women? Why is gender -based violence a pandemic on its own? That’s our burning issue tonight:
Our guests this evening:
- Reverend June Dolley-Major, who is fighting GBV after she herself survived a rape
- Bernadine Bachar, director of the Saartjie Baartman Centre
- Mara Glennie, founder of the Tears Foundation
- Prof Francis Petersen, vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State
-And we chat about a new cape flats initiative with Dr Chance Chagunda