Topic: Violence Against Women
Country: South Africa
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All South Africa position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Women across the world have constantly been subjected to various forms of abuse, be it physical, psychological, or verbal. The Republic of South Africa is a country suffering from high levels of violence, and although a 2018 study showed that both men and women hold similar views regarding the acceptability of men abusing women, the reality of the situation remains a grim and troubling issue. Due to the deeply-rooted patriarchy that still permeates South African society, violence against women continues to worsen: in 2016/2017, UNICEF reported that 70,813 women experienced a sexual offense- an increase of over a hundred percent compared to 2015/2016. In addition, it was noted that 138/100000 women were raped in 2017: the highest rate in the world at the time, and 65% of rape occurs close to or at homes (UNICEF). In the case of HIV, women are particularly vulnerable: with 7.1 million of its people infected in 2016, South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. As such, women who are subjected to sexual abuse are at increasingly at risk of being infected with HIV. Because women are often the first to test for HIV during prenatal testing, they can be labeled as “spreaders,” and, if their condition is discovered, a women can be abused, cut off from key economical resources, or even chased from their homes. This is only one example of the acute forms of discrimination women face.
In 2016, a UN human rights expect on seeing the “pervasive” and “accepted” nature of violence against women in South Africa, urged the government to take substantial efforts to improve the effectiveness of some legislature. Gender based violence, especially when concerning HIV and AIDS, remains within the highest levels of importance of the South African governmental agenda. The new South African Domestic Violence Act set into place in December 1999 has also helped broaden the term of “abuse” and “domestic relations” to cover a wider range of offenses, and through this act, women have been given a measure of clear legal protection. To specifically address the maltreatment, rape, abuse, or neglect of children, The Children’s Amendment Act was enacted in 2016. As 68% of the victims of sexual assault in South Africa are women, some legislation works to target the very mindset of the country (The National Action Plan) in order to influence accepted patriarchal norms; men and boys will continue to be called upon to break the cycle of abuse, and demonstrations such as the 100 Men March of 2018 reenforce the need for male citizens to advocate for their peers. Education developments such as the Girls Education Movement and the Safe Schools Initiative have proved crucial to the prevention of sexually risky behavior, and its success has demonstrated the far-reaching benefits of education to practitioners.
Lack of education, poverty, and discrimination in the workforce only contribute to the problem, as impoverished or uneducated women are highly dependent on their husbands, and will often choose to remain in an abusive situation if no other option is seen. So, at the urging of the thousands of women who marched to voice their concerns, the National Government met with Non-Governmental Organizations on November 1 and 2 of 2018 to discuss gender-based violence and femicide. In the sharing of experiences and collective search for solutions, the Summit yielded numerous recommendations that will influence the government’s actions to end violence against women.
Additionally, many women subjected sexual assault also do not report their abuse to authorities, and the percent of successful court cases remains disappointingly low. To combat this, South Africa’s “radical” Thuthuzela care centers have quickly become a source of healing and justice to the victims of sexual assault. Before, victims were asked to make a statement of their assault in a way that forced them to relive- or even justify- their trauma in unwelcoming environments. Now, victims are admitted into the center where they will be offered professional medical attention and care that provides the individual with not only privacy, but also respect; an investigating officer is immediately contacted in order to ensure concrete actions towards prosecution and conviction.
These care centers offer various services to women and children of all ages, and with this cooperation between victim and service providers, we have seen a significant improvement in the efficiency of the conviction process and an increased awareness of the issue.
With the aid of its fellow delegates, the Republic of South Africa hopes to continue to defend the rights and dignity of our women in this coming conference.
