Strategies to address unequal power relations

Nearly a year ago, Portia* had to leave her little girl with a neighbour so she could run to the
communal toilet. When she returned, her five-year-old was no longer with the neighbour but
sitting inside their one-room house crying, traumatised. Portia asked her child what
happened. She wouldn’t speak. Portia’s little girl was naked from the waist down.

“I asked her over and over again, what happened. Finally, she said that our neighbour hurt
her. I could see her clothes were a mess. She wouldn’t stop crying,” said Portia.
She does not want the perpetrator to be named, even though he has appeared in court for
sexual assault, because this might prompt an attack on her and her daughter.

The alleged perpetrator was released on bail a few days after his arrest in October last year.
According to Portia, the magistrate said that they could not keep the alleged sex offender
behind bars unless the forensic laboratory had returned the DNA results.

In the year since, there has been no progress in the case.
This is not unique.

Open Ended

Why was there an increase in protection orders issued from April to June 2020?

Open Ended

Why do you think cases get thrown out of court?

Multiple Choice

Which province has the highest number of GBV cases?

• Gauteng

• Western Cape

• Free State

• Mpumalanga

Multiple Choice

Which province has the lowest number of GBV cases?

• Gauteng

• Western Cape

• Free State

• Mpumalanga

Multiple Choice

What type of violence had the most reported cases?

• Rape

• Murder

• Assault

• Femicide

Multiple Choice

What percentage of adult rape cases did not go to court?

• 68%

• 90%

• 58%

• 15%

What are the causes of GBV in SA?

• Vetten said there is no “magic bullet” to solving the country’s gender-based violence crisis. The

debate around the connection between alcohol abuse and violence against
women has a long history in South Africa, she said. “I think this is just the latest iteration in that
history. There is certainly an association, but the association is not causality.”

• But Cele is not the only minister making sweeping statements about the causes of gender-based

violence. At a Women’s Month gathering, Deputy Minister of Social Development Hendrietta

Bogopane-Zulu said that breast and testicular cancers are contributors to
gender-based violence because all of these are sexually related.

• Activist Onica Makwakwa said the deputy minister’s statement detracts from the real cause of

gender-based violence: patriarchy.

Multiple Select

What are the THREE main causes provided for gender-based violence?

• Breast and testicular cancer

• Alcohol abuse

• Patriarchy

• Domination

• Gender wars

Poll

Do you agree with the THREE causes that were provided

• Fully agree

• Slightly agree

• Slightly disagree

• Disagree

Open Ended

Provide TWO appropriate causes that you think contribute to gender-based violence.

Sometimes we think we can’t make a difference
because the problem is so big… well, make a
difference to ONE person and you’ve already
made an impact.

STRATEGIES to PREVENT/ REDUCE GBV

Ways to address and promote gender
equality in our daily life:

� Help individual women succeed to increase self-esteem and confidence.

� Discuss gender equality with family members and children to empower

them and raise awareness

� Encourage financial inclusion of both genders.

� Support women-owned businesses to ensure they succeed

� Shop from companies and businesses that promote gender equality.

� Promote gender equality at home by having discussions about it and

living and keep all accountable.