Every day in South Africa women are killed, raped and brutalised. Not by monsters – but the men with whom we share our beds, homes, workplaces, churches and streets.
“Violence against women has always been a serious problem in the country but we have recently seen a surge in reports of these,” says Koketso Moeti, Executive Director at amandla.mobi.
The community organisation is supporting a call by a coalition of organisations for a comprehensive, fully funded National Strategic Plan (NSP) to prevent, combat and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
“The numbers speak for themselves; South Africa’s femicide rate by far exceeds the global average. These are real human beings behind these numbers. People who should have been protected. We call on government to take the lead and commit to developing a NSP on GBV”, says Moeti.
This plan must focus on better service delivery for victims of violence. It should address the critical primary prevention aspect of GBV and the roll-out of prevention programmes that address harmful gender norms and masculinity and equitable relationships amongst men and women alike.
Since the brutal murder of Karabo Mokoena, we have seen those entrusted with supporting victims and ensuring justice, being counter-productive through victim blaming. We cannot continue to allow institutions to fail women while also failing to effectively support those who survive.
A NSP on GBV would provide a coordinated response from all involved stakeholders. As a community, we commit to supporting the organisations fighting for justice for the many women facing brutality in this country.
We urge all South Africans to support this campaign. Read about the campaign here.
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For more information and interviews, contact:
Koketso Moeti
082 583 5869
