By: Natasha Archary
At his second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country is at war with its women and children.
Exactly four years since the pledge was made to end the violence on women and children, the increase in the numbers of murders on women and children paint a stark picture of how dire GBV still is.
Despite interventions such as the GBVF Emergency Response Action Plan in 2019, sexual offences, murder and violence on women and children increased significantly.
Data from the South African Police Service shows that sexual offences and rape increased by 13% between 2017/18 and 2021/22.
Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 there was a 52% increase in the murder of women, and 46% increase in the number of children murdered.
“These horrors defy comprehension. There are really no words for them.
President Ramaphosa said the country is at war with its women and children
They tell a story about our society that is deeply disturbing.
It is a story of a nation at war with itself.
These barbaric acts are a shameful indictment of the men of this country.
It is not women who are responsible for ending such crimes; it is men.”
The GBVF summit took place earlier this week, on 01 November and Ramaphosa came under fire by a number of women’s rights groups who criticised the country’s crimes on women and children.
South Africa observes 16 days of activism against violence on women and children from 25 November.
President @CyrilRamaphosa delivers the keynote address #endGBVF #GBVFSummit2022 https://t.co/y4Lxk77RMz
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) November 1, 2022
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