August 9, 2020, marks 64 years since over 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of national government, to protest dehumanising “pass laws”. These brave women sent a clear and simple message to government: certain people were treated unfairly based on incidence of birth and the colour of their skin, and this must change.
The numbers and cases of gender-based violence keep rising and the stories keep making front pages. GBV is closer to home than we wish to imagine. I believe that GBV, like many other crimes, starts at home in the sense that children witness acts of violence which then they act out sometime in their future. Young boys are shown how to mistreat girls, and how to treat their mothers and sisters, because of unstable homes and no father figures.
We must ease the burden on women and mothers. This can contribute to gender stereotypes – masculinity and femininity resulting in unequal gender roles. Last years’ crime statistics showed that seven women were killed in South Africa every day. Where are the voices of men in this injustice? Recently I visited Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town. When I arrived, a murder had just taken place. It was one of the 54 murders that took place that day throughout the country. The body had been lying there for two hours; the police had blocked off the area – however, it was as if this was as common as a broken-down car. I was struck by how the community carried on with life as if nothing had happened.
Our children grow up in these environments. What kind of message are we sending to them? Are we saying it’s right to see such things on a daily basis? Ensure sufficient minimum income and adequate standard of living for all families, especially those who are vulnerable and/or in extreme economic or social need, through a variety of social protection policies and programmes.