Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has called for a more urgent, coordinated, and victim-centred national response to the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the country.
“This initiative is an urgent call for a more coordinated, victim-centered, and accountable approach to combating GBVF and ensuring justice and protection for women and children,” the Minister said.
She was delivering opening remarks at a roundtable discussion at the Atteridgeville Community Hall in Pretoria on Friday, focusing on the implementation and progress made in the National Strategic Plan as well as evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of services provided to GBVF victims.
The engagement, convened during Youth Month, comes as South Africa grapples with the devastating consequences of recent disasters and ongoing gender-based crimes that continue to claim the lives of women and children.
The Minister took a moment to send her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the floods in the Eastern Cape this week.
“Today, we are gathered here once again, saddened by the news as our country is devastated by the disaster that took the lives of young and elder people. To all those who have lost their lives, we are sending deepest condolences to their families and those who might be hospitalised we wish them a speedy recovery.
“To those who have been affected; some in having lost their shelters; may our government agilely working with the relevant partners, work towards their settlement. This has also impacted negatively on the attendance of some Ministers who were supposed to be with us today,” she said.
The roundtable is a response to widespread public protests and marches demanding justice for victims of GBVF.
According to the Minister, the public outcry triggered the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to propose an urgent engagement.
She highlighted the need to reflect on and address the challenges of existing legislation, including the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which has yet to fully bridge service gaps or ensure trauma-informed support for survivors.
“Gender-based violence and femicide remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations affecting women and children in South Africa.
“Hence today we must deal with all existing legislation and national strategies, including the National Strategic Plan on GBVF as victims continue to experience delays in accessing justice, poor service integration, and a lack of trauma-informed support. “Today we gather here to gain insights and brainstorm on ways to respond to the cry out there,” she said.
Tolashe said the roundtable must serve as a platform to develop practical, community-driven and institutionally supported solutions.
“We need to respond in a collective national way to address institutional inefficiencies and restore public confidence,” the minister said.
A Cry for Shelter Services
One of the key voices at the roundtable, Dr Zubeda Dangor, Head of the National Shelter Movement of South Africa, painted a dire picture of the state of shelters in the country – particularly in Gauteng.
“Women’s shelters play an essential role in the fight against GBV, offering women and children safe accommodation, support, and training as they attempt to leave their abusers,” Dangor told SAnews.
Representing more than 100 affiliated shelters, Dangor called on government to urgently address the chronic underfunding of shelter services.
“Currently in Gauteng, only 10 out of 23 shelters are funded. Now, the government is closing down some of the shelters or not supporting them, while starting new ones. Yes, it is good to open new ones since they are needed, however, the ones that are functioning need support as well,” she said.
She emphasised that shelter helplines now have no place to refer victims to, placing them at risk of returning to dangerous environments.
“We are appealing and hoping to engage government further,” she said.
Background
The roundtable reaffirmed the urgent need for collaboration between government, civil society, and communities, to safeguard the rights and lives of South Africa’s women and children.
The South African government, through the Justice, Crime Prevention and Social Cluster (JCPS Cluster) established the 90-Day Accelerated Programme on Gender Based Violence and Femicide to focus and accelerate efforts to end the scourge of gender based violence.
The 90- Day Accelerated Programme is co-chaired by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Social Development, respectively.
The implementation of the programme is convened through the NatJoints.
Six workstreams were established to focus on key areas of the response to gender-based violence and femicide, with targeted deliverables for each workstream.
One of the targeted deliverables was to convene a roundtable to focus on GBVF.
The roundtable convened national leaders, state departments, and civil society stakeholders to directly respond to these petitions, assess current gaps, and define a clear, actionable pathway to improve services and ensure justice for GBVF victims and survivors. – SAnews.gov.za
