Carol Ofori chats about GBV this 16 Days of Activism
As we embark on the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, Kavya Swaminathan from the TEARS Foundation shares insight into the large amount of gender-based violence cases that go unreported.
It's never a topic that anyone wants to address out of fear of how it might be taken, but that's why 16 Days of Activism is so vital to our community. It allows us to speak freely about what many people in South Africa are going through.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) announced the alarming statistics surrounding offenders who have been sentenced for crimes involving gender-based violence, 3,826 perpetrators have been convicted and imprisoned for their involvement in GBV crimes.
What's worse was to hear that between April and September this year, 2,500 women and children were killed in our country due to gender-based violence.
Carol Ofori marked the third day of the 16 Days of Activism by speaking with Kavya Swaminathan, the Interventions Supervisor at TEARS Foundation.
"TEARS is a non-profit organisation that provides access to FREE crisis intervention, advocacy, counselling, and prevention education services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Confidential Services are provided to all victims and survivors at NO CHARGE!" (TEARS website)
Read more: ‘Paint the Silence’ to raise abuse awareness
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children is a United Nations campaign which takes place annually from the 25th of November to the 10th of December, which falls on International Human Rights Day.
This year's theme is “30 Years of Advancing Collective Action to End Violence Against Women and Children”. The campaign this year emphasises addressing the root causes of GBVF, promoting positive masculinity, promoting gender equity, and creating economic opportunities for women and children.
Carol Ofori started off her interview with Kavya Swaminathan by asking her about the current state of gender-based violence in South Africa; in short, what are the stats? But Swaminathan said that statistics are not a good indicator of the current state of GBV in South Africa because so many cases go unreported.
So I always say, take stats with a grain of salt because, for example, they just recently released a new batch of statistics that see a dip in everything. However, as on the ground and grassroots organisations will tell you, people are still phoning in. People are still having the same struggles. Our call numbers aren't down. So people are still reaching out to us at the same rate. I think that speaks more to people not reporting as much rather than crime stats have gone down, if that makes sense.
Read more: Nearly 4,000 convicted for GBV - SAPS
What action are you taking to end violence against women and children?
Take a listen to the full interview below.
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