Violence Against Women
In South Africa, a woman is raped every 26 seconds; 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence and every 6 hours a woman is killed by her intimate partner. These are the statistics that are depicted on a mural in Khayelitsha that was unveiled at an event on the 31st of May 2013. The event, which commenced with a march from Khayelitsha Wetlands Park to the mural location at Makhula Crescent, was attended by over 70 community members; civil society organizations Free Gender, Triangle Project, Social Justice Coalition, Mosaic and Mali; religious leaders; police officials; and local government representatives.
The mural was developed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre as part of their "Enhancing State Response to Gender Based Violence" project which is funded by the European Union.
The mural, titled "domestic violence and rape are not just family problems...in the fight against violence against women it is everyone's responsibility", serves to advocate that an effective response to violence against women requires a dynamic relationship between the community, police and local government. Each has a specific but interconnected role to play:
Government has an obligation to deliver services. In response to domestic violence, for example, the South African Police Services is mandated, amongst others, to record incidences of domestic violence; to protect victims of violence from harm; to assist victims to find suitable shelter and to obtain medical treatment; to assist victims to collect personal property from the abusive home; to seize dangerous weapons from perpetrators of domestic violence and rape; to enforce Protection Orders and to keep the victim informed on cases.
The responsibility of local government, amongst other duties, is to develop knowledge of the community and understand their issues, concerns and priorities. They are tasked to provide effective access to justice for victims and to hold civil servants accountable for failure to follow obligations.
Community members, in turn, have a responsibility to advocate for their needs; actively participate in the community; to support victims of domestic violence and rape, and to hold government accountable to its mandate and its promises.
Earlier this year, in his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma said that "the brutality and cruelty meted out to defenseless women is unacceptable and has no place in our country". While there are many reasons and interlinking factors as to why the rates of violence against women are so high in our country, we cannot allow secondary victimization, challenges in accessing justice and lack of efficient adequate services for survivors of domestic violence and rape to continue to play a role in the perpetuation and violation of women's rights and freedom.
It is hoped that the mural will serve as a daily reminder of this.
