ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON GENDER- BASED VIOLANCE ( GBV)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 22 APRIL 2013

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OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

• Introduction• Role of DSD in the prevention of gender based

violence• Shelters and One Stop Centers in responding to GBV• Other DSD initiatives• Challenges and plans for addressing challenges

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INTRODUCTION

• Violence against women and children in South Africa is extreme, both in terms of its prevalence and severity.

• In 2010/11, 63,603 rape and sexual assault cases were recorded• The real level of rape is however much higher, as many suffer in silence; they often have

limited access to justice; are too disempowered, too fearful of further traumatisation or stigmatisation in the criminal justice system to step forward

• The true extent of violence is impossible to measure as only a small proportion of all acts is reported and investigated

• Nevertheless there is ample national and global evidence that violence against women is manifested in a continuum of multiple ,interrelated and sometimes recurring forms

• It can involve physical, sexual, psychological/emotional and economic abuse and exploitation• This can be experienced in a range of settings across both private and public spheres, and

can sometimes transcend national boundaries• Therefore interventions need strong collaboration and coordination between all spheres of

government, inclusive of various stakeholders, community and civil society

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ROLE OF DSD

• To Prevent violence against women and children from occurring through a sustained strategy for transformation attitude, practice and behavior

• To respond to violence in an integrated and coordinated manner by ensuring a comprehensive package of services to affected women and children

• To monitor prevalence and incidence of gender based violence against women and children• To ensure follow-up and support and reintegration of victims of GBV

NB: These initiatives includes older persons and persons with disability

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SHELTERS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

• Currently 96 111 shelters exists throughout SA as reflected in the database of the provincial offices of the department.

• The number of shelters per province are as follows: Western Cape Province =15 Eastern Cape Province =11 Gauteng Province =27 Free State Province =10 Northern Cape Province = 5 Limpopo Province = 9 Mpumalanga Province = 3 Kwa- Zulu Natal Province =13 North West Province = 3 TOTAL =96• Efforts are still made by the department to continue facilitating the establishment of shelters

in provinces especially Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State. These shelters provide accommodation for a period up to six months and clear plan directs further interventions. The department is also exploring the issue of transitional houses with the department of human settlement for reintegration back into the community .

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KHUSELEKA ONE STOP CENTRES

• Currently 7 one stop centres exist throughout SA as reflected in the database of the provincial offices of the department.

• The number of one stop centres per province are as follows: Western Cape Province = 2 Gauteng = 1 Eastern Cape Province = 1 Northern Cape Province = 1 Mpumalanga Province = 1

North West Province = 1 ( temporary structure)

TOTAL = 7• Additional two one stop centres are planned for the 2013 MTEF ( KZN

and EC).

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Funding initiatives for shelters

In addition to the funds provided to shelters by provinces using allocated funds in their baselines the department also embarked on the following initiatives:

•Partnership with European Commission and UNODC to strengthen and support shelters and establish one stop centres in the country•48 established organisations were funded and 44 emerging organisations were supported•The dept. also applied funds from Criminal Asset recovery account, and amount of R26 million was allocated by the department of justice and constitutional development•Developed costing models for all VEP services including shelters•Developed funding model to ensure uniform funding •National treasury is funding engaged on the proposed funding model and request for funding gap•The department has also created a regime for emerging organisations to access funding from the dept.

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OTHER DSD INITIATIVESAwareness and education•Every day hero programme•Community dialogues•Door to door campaigns•Social mobilization•Perpetrator programmes •Substance abuse programme•Poverty alleviation initiatives•Child protection services including ECD

Care and protection for victims•Green/white door services•Crisis centers

Therapeutic interventions•Pyscho social services•Family conferencing•Debriefing/crisis intervention•Individual counseling and Group therapy

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OTHER DSD INITIATIVES CONT… Life skills programmes

• Parental skills

• Family strengthening and support programmes

• Healthy life style programmes ( Anti-Substance Abuse)

Economic empowerment programme-in the shelters

• Abet training

• Arts and culture

• Catering

• Flower arrangement

• Gardening /food security

Social Assistance

• Social security benefits

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OTHER DSD INITIATIVES CONT…

• Promotion and implementation of perpetrator’s programme through the strategy of engagement of men and boys in prevention of gender based violence

• Participation in national campaigns such as 16 days of activism on no violence against women and children and 365 days plan of action

• Awareness raising on victim’s rights through victim’s rights week( 14-18 sept. ) as decided by the department of Justice and constitutional development

• DSD coordinates victim empowerment programme within the JCPS cluster and convenes the IMC on the causes of violence against women and children

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CHALLENGES

• Strengthen coordination mechanism at different spheres of govt. and interface with existing structures such as the council for GBV and the ministry of women ,children and persons with disability

• Lack of national indicators for GBV and database• Inadequate M&E mechanism to monitor implementation and managing information for

the sector • Adequate resourcing for GBV • Integrated Marketing and communication strategy for services• Gap in legislation in general and more specifically on the registration of shelters and

accreditations of service providers and programmes• Lack of sufficient shelters in some provinces.

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Proposals to deal with challenges

• Strengthen prevention efforts and invest in prevention programmes• Seamless response mechanism for GBV• Clear referral mechanism• Develop indicators including M&E system and information management system• Create research an knowledge hub for the sector• Ensure proper coordination mechanism for the sector to ensure service delivery• Identify key policy and legislative gaps and amend as matter of urgency and

develop new legislation where there is none ( Sexual Offences Act and children’s Act)

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CONCLUSION

Addressing the nature and levels of violence in our society can never be the responsibility of government alone. Prevention and elimination of violence against women and children require the involvement and partnership of all government spheres, community, civil society ,business and private sector, faith based organizations etc.

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THANK YOU

HA KHENSA

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