SA can end GBV now

STEPS: PREVENT VIOLENCE HAPPENING, SUPPORT SURVIVORS, ENSURE GENDER JUSTICE

- KGAHLISO RAESETJE MANGOALE

(iStock)

To say that South Africa is unsafe for women and children is to confront a painful truth many carry quietly.

Ordinary acts like visiting the post office, going on a date, or being in a romantic relationship could become a dangerous, even deadly, situation.

One in four women in SA will experience intimate partner violence over the course of their lives and almost half of SA's children have experienced neglect, mistreatment, abuse, or violence.

Government's decision to classify gender-based violence (GBV) as a national disaster is an admission that it's not a women's issue; it's a social crisis that has spiralled out of control.

It's an acknowledgement that we need immediate action, backed by the right laws, policies and interventions, to ensure we don't pass this national disaster on to the next generation.

The National Strategic Plan on GBV and Femicide is just a piece of paper without state funding to implement it.

Similarly, the draft Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 to strengthen alcohol regulation has been stuck in legislative limbo for years, gathering dust while heavy drinking continues to fuel violence against women and children.