SOUTH AFRICA - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND GBV COMPLAINTS CONTINUE TO SOAR IN LOCKDOWN PERIOD

The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre has received three times higher than the usual amount of calls from women. 

Last week, Police Minister Bheki Cele said his department had received more than 87-thousand gender-based violence-related calls in the first week of the 21-day lockdown.

Non-governmental organisation Sonke Gender Justice says organisations that deal with Gender-based violence should coordinate their activities and share information to deal with the problem effectively.

On Saturday, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said she was deeply alarmed by the number of calls that her department had received from women who were trapped with abusive partners during the lockdown period. 

Pandemics and Violence Against Women and Children
Times of economic uncertainty, civil unrest and disaster are linked to a myriad of risk factors for increased violence against women and children (VAW/C). Pandemics are no exception.

The Gender-based Violence Command Centre has received three times higher than the usual amount of calls from women. Last week, Police Minister Bheki Cele said his department had received more than 87 000 Gender-based violence-related calls in the first week of the 21-day lockdown. 

The organisation’s Nonhlanhla Skosana says government should also come on board.

“And we have ongoing conversations with different stakeholders. Civil society organisations have written to different ministers regarding the concerns that they have around issues of gender-based violence. We’d appreciate if we could get co-operation also from government regarding the issue at this present moment.”

via - SABC