As the 16 Days of Activism no Violence Against Gender-Based Women and Children campaign kicks off on November 25, the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has joined numerous organisations in expressing alarm over the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV) that plagues the nation.
The association emphasises that the discourse surrounding this critical issue must not be limited to a mere 16-day campaign but should resonate every day, underscoring the collective responsibility of individuals across various facets of society — homes, workplaces, communities, and among peers.
“Something is terribly wrong in South Africa when a 14-year-old is fatally shot on route to school,” states Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations.
Keyter’s sentiment reflects the urgency and seriousness of the situation, further corroborated by the recently released findings of the Human Sciences Research Council’s first national gender-based violence prevalence study.
The study also reveals a staggering reality: 36% of women in South Africa — approximately 7.8 million — have suffered from physical or sexual abuse throughout their lives, with a significant 24% facing violence from an intimate partner.
More troubling are the entrenched gender norms and power dynamics that facilitate these atrocities, revealing a societal backdrop where traditional gender roles are stubbornly upheld, alongside a disturbing acceptance of male aggression and dominance.
Despite South Africa’s long-standing commitment to combating gender inequality, a concerning portion of men surveyed in the study maintains archaic beliefs, with close to a quarter asserting that a woman cannot refuse her husband's demands, including sexual ones.
Although nearly 85% of men acknowledged the existence of laws aimed at protecting women against violence, many also expressed the belief that these laws inadvertently favour women’s claims over men’s rights, further complicating the issue.
In a chilling context, the South African Medical Research Council’s fourth national femicide study paints South Africa as having one of the highest femicide rates globally.
Moreover, a recent United Nations study establishes a direct correlation between food insecurity and women’s increased vulnerability to domestic violence, highlighting how economic dependency shapes the dynamics of abusive relationships.
Women with stable incomes often report feeling safer, except in cases where they out-earn their partners, which may challenge the traditional male-dominant hierarchy.
Statistics on sexual violence are equally disheartening, with reported rape prevalence ranging between 12% and 28% of women claiming to have been raped in their lifetime, against the backdrop of a staggering under-reporting rate, as only one in 25 rapes is documented by authorities.
Keyter further emphasises: “MISA believes that the cycle of gender-based violence ends with us. We have a duty to address this pandemic in our homes, at the workplace, in our communities, amongst our elders and our peers.”
The association has equipped its regional committee members and participants in the Women’s Forum and Young Workers’ Forum with vital skills to recognise the red flags in relationships.
Armed with this knowledge, they aim to spread awareness among MISA’s vast membership base of over 69 000 and in collaboration with non-profit organisations and schools.
Keyter insists on the importance of sustaining awareness beyond the 16 Days. “That is why this union has created a dedicated email address, [email protected], for individuals within the retail motor industry to confidentially report cases and receive assistance.”
The Star