Why Did GBV Increase During Lockdown In South Africa?
What Is Gender Based Violence?
One of the most famous instances of human rights abuse in all nations, gender-based violence has its roots in gender inequity. Violence committed against a person because of their gender is referred to as gender-based violence. Gender-based violence affects both men and women, however the majority of victims are women and girls.
The Violence Against Women
Since it is commonly known that men perpetrate the majority of gender-based violence against women and girls, the terms gender-based violence and violence against women are sometimes used interchangeably. The “gender-based” component is crucial, though, because it draws attention to the fact that many types of violence against women have their roots in power disparities between men and women. The interchangeability of the terms throughout EIGE’s research reflects the disproportionate prevalence of these specific crimes against women.
The Types Of Gender Based Violence
As the gold standard for international law addressing gender-based violence, the Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe, Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence) defines gender-based violence and violence against women as gendered acts that are “a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women.” According to the Istanbul Convention, gender-based violence includes threats of such behavior as well as coercive or arbitrary deprivations of liberty that happen in either public or private life and cause “physical, sexual, psychological or economic injury or suffering to women.”
Gender-Based Violence’s Effects
Gender-based violence has both immediate and long-term effects on the physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health of women. Only some of the negative effects of violence survivors may experience include injuries, unwanted pregnancies, STDs, gynecological problems, anxiety, melancholy, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even self-harm. For instance, those who have experienced intimate partner abuse are 50% more likely to have HIV and have a twice greater risk of having an induced abortion.
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Why Did GBV Increase During Lockdown In South Africa?
Recent reports have showed that various forms of violence against women and girls have increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic is killing a lot of people, but it also poses a threat to the hard-won advances in gender equality and women’s empowerment because of its disproportionately negative socioeconomic effects on women and girls. There have been reports of abuse in Africa as well, including domestic and sexual abuse of women and girls, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and domestic violence that is aggravated, in particular, during lockdowns. Additionally, with the rise in online learning, there have been more instances of child exploitation, harassment, and abuse. However, the lack of comprehensive and systematic Gender Based Violence (GBV) and COVID-19 response and rehabilitation initiatives in AUM Member States continues to be a major obstacle.
Emergence Of GBV In Africa
The policy document summarizes published, unpublished, and media information on the emergence of GBV as a component of the COVID-19 pandemic and lock downs in Africa against this background. In order to effectively support and protect women and girls from gender-based violence as a standard component of the response to the COVID-19 epidemic in the Africa region, the report documents the dramatic rises in GBV describing the repercussions, emerging priorities, and promising methods. Additionally, the study provides some doable, fact-based recommendations for AU Member States and other stakeholders to ensure that GBV prevention efforts are included into their COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
