By Selloane Ntshonyane
- More than 100 people gathered at a candlelight vigil in Orlando East on 21 September for women killed by gender-based violence and femicide.
- GBV Monitor South Africa founder Omogolo Taunyane says financial strain and drawn-out court processes are among the biggest reasons women drop their cases.
More than 100 people gathered at American Board Circle in Orlando East, Soweto, on Monday, 21 September, to stand in solidarity with women killed through gender-based violence and femicide.
The candlelight vigil was organised by the ActionSA Women’s Forum and attended by community members, children, organisations and church leaders.
Keabetswe Shumba, secretary of ActionSA Women’s Forum in Johannesburg, said the gathering came from understanding the pain so many South African women carry.
“We are going to the ground,” she said, adding that the forum plans to take its work directly into communities.
She called for more police and metro police presence to deal with crime and GBV, and urged women to support one another and report abuse. She also said boys need to be taught from a young age how to treat women with respect.
But for many survivors, reporting is only the beginning of a process that often breaks down before it reaches court.
Omogolo Taunyane, founder of GBV Monitor South Africa, told Scrolla.Africa that many women drop their cases after reporting them.
“Sometimes victims get drained because they have to go through the process of going through medical examinations, giving statements and later prepare for court,” she said.
Taunyane said one of the biggest reasons women give up is the financial strain of travelling to and from court, often multiple times, before a case is resolved. She said the system needs to change to give women better support once they come forward.
Ingrid Mpisane, secretary of a Sector 3 policing forum and a block chairperson in Orlando East, said she still encourages people to report GBV, even those who have lost faith in the justice system.
Her sector’s policing forum has 25 members, 22 women and three men, and works alongside SAPS through an organisation focused on GBV. The forum also runs community patrols between 4am and 6am to help keep residents safe.
Mpisane said more education on GBV is needed, particularly in places where alcohol is consumed, which she described as one of the biggest contributing factors to abuse.
“My home is always open to give support to people experiencing GBV,” she said.
Pictured above: Hundreds of Soweto residents gathered for a candle light vigil to remember women killed by gender-based violence on Monday night.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
