Govt Obliged to Better Address South Africa's Domestic Violence
According to UN News, South Africa's failure to address domestic violence is a violation of women's rights, independent UN experts said in a report, citing low levels of prosecution and conviction as factors. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) visited the country in September 2019 to conduct a confidential inquiry into allegations raised by civil society organizations.
Available evidence indicated that the scale of domestic violence, including femicide, is alarmingly high, members said. The Committee noted the absence of State-run shelters for women and their children, adding South Africa "cannot absolve itself from its obligation to ensure protection and assistance to victims of domestic violence by delegating the provision of such services to NGO-run shelters without adequately funding them."
The report includes 34 recommendations for action. They include effective law enforcement, policies ensuring adequate access to justice, protection and victim support services, and measures dismantling patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory stereotypes that legitimize domestic violence.
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South Africa:
Govt Has 'Obligation' to Better Address Domestic Violence - UN Women's Rights Experts
UN News, 17 May 2021
South Africa's failure to address domestic violence is a violation of women's rights, independent UN experts said in a report published on Monday, citing low levels of prosecution… Read more »
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South Africa:
Failure to Tackle Domestic Violence a Violation of Women's Rights - UN Experts
OHCHR, 17 May 2021
GENEVA (17 May 2021) South Africa's low levels of prosecution and conviction in domestic violence cases and the frequent failures by the police to serve and enforce protection… Read more »
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South Africa:
Why Girls Continue to Experience Violence At School
The Conversation Africa, 11 April 2021
Girls experience gender and sexual violence in schools around the world, and South Africa is no exception. Research has shown how learners, and girls in particular, are vulnerable… Read more »
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South Africa:
Women Under Fire
New Frame, 5 March 2021
As International Women's Day approaches, we need to affirm the right of women - all women - to full and free participation in the public sphere. Read more »
InFocus
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(File photo).