Activists are calling for more focus on gender-based violence and femicide

Activists are urging the government to amend the GBVF Acts for accountability, effective oversight and alignment with the 2018 declaration.

Activists and civil society groups are urging the government to halt the implementation of the National Board on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) laws and focus on amending it to align with the 2018 declaration and the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and The femicide. .

The GBVF laws relate to three separate acts, the Criminal Law and Related Matters Amendment Act, the Criminal Law Amendment (Sexual Offenses and Related Matters) Act and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act.

Activists argue that while the acts were a step in the right direction for the country’s response to GBVF, the acts in their current form were inadequate and failed to address the underlying challenges they seek to address.

Gender-based violence cannot be addressed in isolation

The executive director of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (Isla), Sibongile Ndashe, said the current framework lacked accountability and had become an empty structure with no real functionality.

“Current laws lack provisions to ensure accountability across sectors and ensure necessary and sustained funding. We have engaged with others, but there is a lack of understanding as to why the system is not working.

“We believe this amendment is critical. It’s not just about the structure; is to make sure that the people involved can act and react effectively,” she said Saturday Citizen.

Organizations expressed concern about inconsistencies between the acts, the National Strategic Plan on GBVF and the commitments made at the 2018 summit declaration.

“There are concerns that the establishment of the council, coupled with the removal of essential oversight mechanisms, could render it ineffective and undermine the progress made by the GBVF movement,” Ndashe said.

Neglect of structures and impartiality, among other concerns

Other issues raised include the neglect of provincial and local structures, concerns about impartiality and representation, and the absence of a robust system to ensure effective oversight and collaboration.

As the country marks the 16 annual days of activism against violence against women and children, the organizations proposed a series of engagements to bring together experts and stakeholders on the effective implementation of the National Strategic Plan for GBVF, including the funding model and outlining issues of accountability, board oversight and proposed funding.

Kayan Leung, public interest lawyer at Lawyers for Human Rights, said: “The national strategic plan proposed that the council would have a political priority at the highest level of the president, with the president playing a central role as champion of national policy. The Council should step up its authority and ensure that there is effective oversight and implementation.”

“Without these, progress will always be limited.”