Covid-19 has overshadowed another glaring crisis: gender-based violence. After the brutal murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana sparked a wave of protests in 2019, the government was forced to come up with an action plan. Now a 50-page report outlines the outcome of their interventions.

The report on the government's R1.6-billion plan to combat gender-based violence has finally been released to the public.

The Emergency Response Action Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide (ERAP) was implemented over six months between 1 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 and covers five key areas for intervention:

Access to justice for victims and survivors

Changing norms and behaviours through high-level prevention efforts

Urgent response to victims and survivors of gender-based violence

Strengthening accountability and architecture for adequate response to GBV and femicide

Interventions for women's economic empowerment

The Interim Steering Committee on Gender-Based Violence Femicide (ISCGBVF) was co-chaired by Professor Olive Shisana and Advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo and consisted of 49 members from government, civil society, chapter nine institutions and universities.

The next phase of the broad-based intervention is the rollout of the National Strategic Plan to combat GBV which will be led by the Gender-based Violence and Femicide Council.

Urgent response to victims and survivors...