GBV is everyone’s business

All South Africans must respond to Gender- Based Violence (GBV) and femicide.

In 2018 President Cyril Ramaphosa took a stand against this scourge by hosting the first GBV Summit in South Africa.

This was a platform where all sectors of South Africa which included government, civil society and survivors of GBV where under one umbrella to find solutions on how the country can stop abuse.

As a way of taking a stand and showing the country’s commitment to end GBV and femicide President Ramaphosa will sign a declaration which is also a plan of action of how South Africa will end this problem.

This is scheduled to take place at the Booysens Magistrates Court in Gauteng on the 28th of March.

President Ramaphosa will also be responding to the key areas that were discussed to the GBV Summit they are as follows;

1. Political and community leadership must support and champion the cause of eradicating GBV and femicide;
2. Political, community, family and business leadership should be held accountable through, amongst others, a Code of Conduct
3. Immediately set up an Interim Structure, which is funded, with the eventual objective of establishing a national, multi-stakeholder Council. The composition of the Council must be inclusive and representative with consideration of at least 51% civil society and appointments must be transparent.
4. Adequate resourcing of Thuthuzela Care Centres, sexual offences courts and shelters that respond to the needs of all people including people with disabilities and LGBTQIA
5. A National Strategic Plan (NSP) on gender -based violence and femicide is developed within the next six months. The NSP should be resourced, implemented and monitored and evaluated on a regular basis
6. Ensure that all laws and policies, programmes and interventions are adequately planned, costed and resourced in line within a gender- responsive planning, budgeting and monitoring evaluation framework, across government
7. Retain, resource, strengthen and reinvigorate the institutional mechanisms including the national gender machinery;
8. Promote woman-centred economic development;
9. Strengthen the information and research base to develop effective, coordinated evidence- based policy and programming;
10. A targeted, social behaviour change programme to address patriarchal values and norms and structural drivers of gender-based violence is developed and implemented across all sectors of South Africa.
11. Evaluate existing education interventions with a view to strengthen them to ensure a comprehensive response at all levels of education.
12. Convene a meeting of all communicators on GBV to adopt ethical guidelines, to cover language used, approaches for sensitivity (social media package) and social context training for the media sector
13. Ensure ongoing capacity building, specialisation, strengthened coordination informed by legislation, norms, standards and protocols on gender-based violence;
14. Fast track the review of existing laws and policies on gender-based violence to be victim-centred and ensure all other relevant laws respond to GBV;
15. Implement the recommendations that have been identified from reviews and address legislative gaps
16. Consider creating a regulatory framework for religious institutions to curb sexual abuses and crimes under the guises of religion.
17. Revisit and fast track all outstanding laws and bills that relate to GBV and femicide, including the decriminalisation of sex work

No means No

Did you Know?

• The Booysens Magistrates Court built at Oakdene in the south of Johannesburg is making access to justice services more convenient for the community.
• Prior to the construction of the court communities in this area were serviced by the Johannesburg Central Magistrates Court which required them to travel up to 13 kilometres to be assisted.
• The facility was built at a cost of just over R242 million

What service does the Booysens Magistrates Court offer?

• Maintenance matters
• Domestic violence matters
• Childrenís Court
• Harassment Court matters
• Civil law services
• Small Claims Court services and criminal law services

How to contact the Booysens Magistrates Court?
Call 011 210 7300

What can I do if I am a victim of sexual violence?
Visit a Thuthuzela Care Centres which offers the following service:

• Comfort
• Medical care
• Access to the legal system
• Counselling

How to contact a Thuthuzela Care Centre in your area?
Contact the Gender Based Command Centre in your area by call 0800 428 428 or send Please call me to *120*7867#

Do you need a Thuthuzela Centres and are based on the South of Johannesburg contact?

• Baragwanath Thuthuzela Care Centre -  011-933 1229 / 3346
• Lenasia Thuthuzela Care Centre - 011 211 0632

Important Numbers
If you are being abused or suspect that someone is being abused call:

• South African Police Service 10111
• Childline 0800 055555
• Stop Women Abuse Hotline 0800 150 150
• Lifeline on 0861 322 322 or (021) 461 1111