There are growing calls for the government to address conditions that contribute to the increasing number of instances, especially as the nation prepares to commemorate 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children.
A recent study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) revealed that alcohol misuse and poor mental health are two of the many characteristics linked to men committing gender-based violence (GBV),
Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Thursday, Patrick Solomon, Director at Molo Songololo said government has made major progress when it comes to strengthening the law to ensure that justice is served for victims and survivors of GBV.
“The law also makes provision for prevention work, an area that we are currently struggling with. How can we prevent acts of violence that happen within the home. It is a challenge for everyone. People do not have the resources to protect themselves and depend on government to assist, but how can anyone assist if cases are not reported,” he added.
Solomon further stressed that it is important to report cases, but also to ensure that they actively speak out if they see suspicious behaviour.
“We should be more reactive and responsive. If you see anything wrong at a home or a learner at school acting a certain way, contact the authorities. Rather be safe than sorry when it comes to these things. It is also important not to withdraw cases once reported because this also affects GBV cases being solved. Our people are so scared and fearful of those who commit GBV that they live in these dire situations, but we need to get to a point where we say enough is enough so that both perpetrators and victims get the help that they need,” he stressed.
Listen to full audio below:
