Gender-based violence campaign kicks off in KwaZulu-Natal

The Counselling and Career Development Unit, in collaboration with the Communication and Marketing Department in KwaZulu-Natal, kicked off the March Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness campaign in Pietermaritzburg on 4 March 2022.In collaboration with FAMSA, the CCD unit-PMB  hosted an information table, consisting of valuable  GBV information  and resources for students. This was followed by A Wall of remembrance in honour of women and children who lost their lives to GBV. This Visual display will be on the campus until the end of the year.

On 17 March, staff and students participated in a placard demonstration to create awareness about GBV. The same day, staff members and students signed the Unisa KwaZulu-Natal GBV pledge in support of efforts to eradicate all forms of gender-based violence. The acronym of Unisa was used to create the pledge. The pledge was developed by Dr Hendricks and will be laminated and put on display to remind staff members and students about the commitment they made. The acronym (U.N.I.S.A) was used for the following commitments in the pledge:

U – UNITE and stand in solidarity with victims and survivors of Gender-Based violence.

N – NOTIFY authorities, should I witness acts of violence, abuse or trafficking, against vulnerable men, women, and children.

I – INSPIRE, influence, encourage and motivate others to speak out against Gender-based violence. I acknowledge that change begins with me.

S – SUPPORT all victims of any type of abuse through community activism & awareness and by adopting values of human dignity, equality and respect for all.

A – ACT swiftly by reporting any acts of abuse, human trafficking, or violence should I experience or be affected by any form of gender-based violence.

The first online event of the campaign took place on 16 March and boasted a programme featuring interesting topics and speakers. Ms Gugu Biyela explained the GBV, intimate partner violence (IPV), victim support and community resources that are available at the Department of Social Development. Ms Vanishaa Gordhan from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) spoke about the psychological impact of GBV. Ms Mandisa Mthembu from the Jess Foord Foundation explained what sexual violence entails.

Ms Jabulisile Langa from the Umlazi  Thuthuzela Care Centre spoke about the sexual violence support that the centres offer. Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) are one-stop facilities that were introduced as a critical part of South Africa’s anti-rape strategy with the aim of reducing secondary victimisation, building cases that are ready for successful prosecution, improving conviction rates and reducing the cycle time for the finalisation of cases. The Thuthuzela project is led by the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit (SOCA) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in partnership with various departments and donors as a response to the urgent need for an integrated strategy for prevention, response and support for rape victims. Since its establishment, the unit has been working to develop best practices and policies that seek to eradicate the victimisation of women and children, while improving prosecution, particularly in the areas of sexual offences, maintenance, child justice and domestic violence. TCCs operates from public hospitals close to communities where the incidence of rape is particularly high. They are also linked to sexual offences courts, which are staffed by skilled prosecutors, social workers, magistrates, NGOs and police.

Advocate Mxzolo Rusi

Advocate Mxzolo Rusi from the NPA discussed GBV legislation and protective measures that can be instituted by courts. One of the interesting aspects of GBV legislation he discussed was the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, which came into operation on 15 December 1999. The Act provides for the issuing of protection orders for domestic violence and related matters because the remedies that were available to victims of domestic violence proved to be ineffective. The aim of this Act is to afford victims of domestic violence the maximum protection from domestic abuse that the law can provide and to introduce measures that seek to ensure that the relevant organs of the state give full effect to the provisions of the Act, thereby conveying the message that the state is committed to the elimination of domestic violence. Advocate Rusi went on to discuss the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007, explaining the legal aspects of sexual offences, particularly sexual offences against children,  and people who are mentally disabled,  compulsory HIV testing and the National Register for Sex Offenders.

Daisy Munsami

Ms Daisy Munsami from Legal Aid South Africa discussed the GBV bills, as well as the legal aid services offered at Legal Aid. She also explained what the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 entails. She said that GBV is any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on the social gender differences between males and females. GBV includes acts that inflict physical, sexual and mental harm. Ms Munsami explained the general categories of GBV, namely, physical violence (assault, trafficking, slavery, honour killing), emotional violence (humiliation, isolation, intimidation, social exclusion), economic violence (denial of opportunities, forced/early marriage, denial of education for women and children) and sexual violence (forced marriage, forced prostitution, rape and marital rape, child sexual abuse, defilement and incest). She discussed the consequences of GBV, where GBV occurs, the forms of domestic violence, the action to take if someone is a victim of domestic violence, what a protection order entails, what role the courts play and how Legal Aid can help qualifying clients in domestic violence matters.

Two additional online GBV events have been planned for 23 and 30 March 2022, with a specific focus on Human trafficking.

Submitted by:  Jo Cossavella, Communications Officer, KwaZulu-Natal Region