I hate reading the news. I stopped reading news quite some time ago. I would become so angered at what I was reading about. After all, ignorance is bliss and what could I possibly do to change the course of justice in this country?!
Well…start…start somewhere…start anywhere, just start! So…I started reading the news more and more…it still angers me to see such depravity taking place on a daily basis.
Did you know that there were nearly 240 gender based violence and child abuse arrests in KZN alone for a month! That is only one province out of the 9 in our country. Also, KZN is one of the smaller ones so I cannot even begin to articulate what those stats would look like on a nationwide scale.
I have decided to dedicate the month of August to raising more awareness around GBV. It is a real issue in our country. And no, August shouldn’t be the only month but because Women’s Day is coming up, I thought would could rally together in creating more awareness.
We already know that SA is rated the top country where the most GBV crimes take place. This is our daily reality. How can we change this? Let’s start by understanding what GBV is and how you can help.
What is gender-based violence?
GBV is defined by the UN as an umbrella term “for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between females and males.”
4 key facts you should know about gender-based violence
- Globally, 1 in 3 women have been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way — usually by someone they know.
- Around 641 million women worldwide have experienced at least one incidence of physical and sexual violence from a romantic partner.
- As many as 38% of murders of women globally are committed by their intimate partners.
- In some countries, the World Bank estimates that violence against women can a cost up to 3.7% of the countries GDP in lost productivity — thus impacting the capacities of many families to earn.
In South Africa, women are at risk.
- South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world, and a femicide rate that is five times the global average, with an estimated 1 in 100,000 victims each year. South Africa’s gender-based violence statistics (GBV) are equal to a country at war.
If you are at risk or know of someone at risk please reach out via the following:
Call 0800 428 428 Emergency Line
OR
(Please call me) *120*7867#
OR
Skyp address – Helpme GBV for members of the deaf community
OR
SMS “HELP” to 31531 for persons with disability
For further resources on the above click HERE