Moreover, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a spike in GBV cases, highlighting the hidden challenges faced by women during movement restrictions. The extended periods of isolation with partners intensified frustration and abuse within households. Even in post-COVID times, the accumulation of various crises, such as high interest rates, job losses, business closures (especially small businesses), devastating floods in KwaZulu- Natal, and persistent power outages ("load shedding"), has further weakened an already fragile economy. These factors reduce productivity and limit women's ability to negotiate their rights, thereby diminishing their safety. Despite these alarming statistics, research indicates that GBV policy, planning, implementation, and service delivery in SA have received insufficient attention. Effectively addressing this issue requires political leadership willing to acknowledge its severity and guide the country in a united and consistent effort to combat it, by providing services and empowering communities to break the cycle of violence. South Africa's lag in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which focuses on the health and well-being of all citizens, is evident. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), good health encompasses complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. This definition emphasises the importance of mental health, safety, and a positive psychological state for overall well-being. Like many African countries, the majority of South Africa's population relies on public health facilities, with approximately 70% depending on primary and secondary healthcare services. Therefore, the National Department of Health (NDoH) must assess its readiness to respond not only to physical illnesses but also to mental health challenges and cases of GBV reported by clients.
Involvement of the country’s political leaders
Prioritising and addressing GBV requires integrating the issue into mainstream healthcare systems, a strategy successfully employed by the WHO to address health challenges. This approach has elevated maternal and child health to global health agendas, leading to significant progress. The success of these endeavours is attributed to frameworks like the Schiffman and Smith framework, which advocate for the involvement of political leaders at international and national levels, the establishment of policies with comprehensive plans, and the allocation of appropriate resources to support the plans. The extent and manner to which South African political leaders have addressed the magnitude and impact of these social ills in society may be questionable. This is deduced from activists' observations of the lack of attention given by the presidency, even when major cases have received widespread media coverage. It could be argued that one of the challenges faced by governments like that of South Africa is the imbalance in the availability of timely, accurate, and reliable data sources, as well as less sophisticated information systems. Furthermore, the national indicator data sets often fail to adequately aggregate data for GBV. For example, some reports from Statistics South Africa refer to "assault" without differentiating between types. However, when women's health statistics are disaggregated, the categories do refer to physical and sexual violence, though the numbers are very low, indicating possible underreporting. When it comes to numbers from public health clinics, these figures are understandably even lower, as most healthcare practitioners might refer victims to the police stations without providing comprehensive services. The available data is limited to two sexual assault indicators. Health providers are also sceptical about getting involved in such cases because they lack the necessary resources to provide a comprehensive package of services to the victims, and they fear the possibility of having to testify in court if the client decides to open a case.
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June 2023 | Collective Action Magazine
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