The government disaster committee wants everyone to pitch in to tackle gender violence after the president officially classified it as a national emergency. Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa held a meeting where officials said society needs to stop relying solely on bureaucrats to fix the problem and actually get communities involved. The declaration came after massive protests and over a million people signing petitions demanding action on femicide rates.
Stats show the situation is completely cooked with nearly a thousand women murdered in just three months and tens of thousands of rape cases reported annually. Research found that a third of women have dealt with physical violence at some point and way too many men admitted to committing assaults against partners. The classification gives authorities emergency powers to mobilize resources and coordinate responses across different government levels while traditional leaders and advocacy groups join the fight.
Stats show the situation is completely cooked with nearly a thousand women murdered in just three months and tens of thousands of rape cases reported annually. Research found that a third of women have dealt with physical violence at some point and way too many men admitted to committing assaults against partners. The classification gives authorities emergency powers to mobilize resources and coordinate responses across different government levels while traditional leaders and advocacy groups join the fight.
